Life As Magic Knew It
by Wonderlust Of A Lost Girl
Summary: Cleo is intrigued by Zane. Rikki hides the lies of deep scars. Bella is in her web of secrets. Emma is being blackmailed into magic. This is what happens when the story of four mermaids gets twisted to a time where they believe magic is unreal. Until...
1. Good Girls and Bad Boys

**Life As No One Knew It**

**Copyright WillowSuzzaGleeee **

**Summary: What if the girls had never became mermaids? Where would they be and how would their lives turn out? Would they ever know the destined fate that they were supposed to be living?**

**A/N: This takes place in the middle of what would be Season 2. But the girls never became mermaids so they don't know each other or are specifically friends for that reason. Things are very different, and I get a thrill out of waiting for your shocked faces. Nothing's better than a review.**

**Cleo's POV**

"Why didn't you call me?" I shrieked into the phone and giggled. "Miriam, I have been waiting all freaking day so that you could tell me how your vacation was, and you have the nerve to tell me that you have no idea what I'm talking about!"

Miriam Kent is my best friend. It hadn't used to be like this; she had been the popular girl and I was the sad lonely nobody. But over this year we had bonded extremely well. She had kicked Tiffany out of her place, and now I was one of the popular girls. But it didn't help that Miriam felt she still needed to hide things from me.

"Cleo, sweetie, I've told you; meeting my new Step-Mummy hasn't really been such a wonderful vacation. She can't actually think she can bribe me into liking her with some stupid fake invitation to a night in…what do they call it… Paradise!" Miriam argued, sighed, and giggled.

"The worst part is I have to act like I like her pathetic fucking daughter, all just so Daddy can marry another fake-ass money loader. They're thinking of buying a house together."

"On the Gold Coast right?" I asked worried my best friend could be just thinking of how she would have to replace me.

"Yes, Cleo, of course." She answered, and sighed. "So, what has Zane been up to?"

I rolled my eyes. All she would ever do was ask if I thought Zane noticed her obsession of pink, and just perfect blonde hair anymore. Zane had been her ex-boyfriend; in her mind of course. But I don't truly think he saw her as anything except a carry-along, that he occasionally maked out with.

"I dunno, Miriam." I sighed, and stared at the familiar faces drinking, talking, and laughing all around the Juicenet. Zane wasn't among them.

Not that I could blame her. He was obviously smoking hot, and even more a very rich smoking hottie, but that didn't change the fact that he was a huge cynical backstabbing jerk. I grumbled.

One very hot backstabbing jerk I think I had had a make-out session with.

I shuddered in guilt as I heard Miriam go on about her plans for our Spring Break.

It had just been one party. One mistake. One that I would never go back to again.

But still, on the night of releasing us to Spring Break; Emma had planned a Masquerade party. One that could have been the worst night of my life.

_The guy was staring at me. He looked pretty cute, I had supposed. I heard screaming as Emma freaked out at someone who had apparently in her words "ruined everything". I rolled my eyes. This had been why Emma and I had never became best friends. She stressed and overanalyzed everything. Nowadays, my goal was to appear cool and un-chaotic. Something Emma wasn't capable of._

_I looked back at the dark-haired guy in his devil's glory of a mask. He wore a dark tuxedo sophisticated in all white and black. He still had that mischievous smile. I smiled back at him, then took another sip of the punch that had filled my cocktail glass._

_My phone had buzzed in that same annoying noise Miriam had programmed in, so I quickly flipped it, not wanting to embarrass myself._

"_Cleo! What's on, hunnie? I'm sure your so lonely without me there, but I assure you I'm having a time that is almost as horrible as your's. Well, anyways, got to run. XO."_

_I rolled my eyes, then stopped in fear of them sticking there. At least I looked hot; even if on the inside I was lamer than a twelve year old still playing with barbies._

_I was attired in a tight black dress sealing my frame, chest, and legs all buckled within the dress. I wore dark polka dot see-through leggings and high heels that were killing my toes. My hair was super-straightened and down, with my beautiful mask basking in it's catty ways._

_He kept playing with something upon the counter; rolling it back and forth. This made me nervous, and somehow made me desperately want to talk to him, and perhaps even touch him. A lot._

_Right when I was going to say Hi to him, a girl with long locks of blond curls came within the middle of us. She didn't look at either of us. She wore a short purple and somewhat splattered looking mini-dress. She just sat there staring off into space._

_A wave of jealousy hit me when I saw the boy whisper something into her ear. Why did she get to have him whisper to her? But suddenly her head whipped to him; scowled, and then at me. She appeared hurt for a moment, the mumbled at me._

"_All that fucking prick can think about is getting into girl's pants." She shook her head, and stuck her middle finger out at him. He just sat there; unaffected, and smiled even more at me._

_I should have been angry, even disgusted, a guy was thinking about using me for sex; but all I felt was flattery. I giggled at him._

"_You pissed her of pretty well." He shrugged._

"_She's just a jealous heartbroken ex." He mumbled._

_Maybe I should have recognized his voice. Now, thinking about it; I had no idea who and when Zane had apparently gotten with the blond curls girl. I had only knew he had broken Miriam's heart for no eternal reason._

"_Oh." I had suppressed._

"_Do you get heartbroken easy?" He asked me. That same wriggling smirk on his face._

_I didn't know what to say. Did I? I thought about the time I had broken poor Lewis McCartney's heart when he practically begged me to come to a dance with him; in front of Miriam and our clique. I had, under the peer pressure of my friends; just laughed at him and told him "In his dreams", and called him pathetic and stupid. After that; I no longer had my best guy friend Lewis looking out for me._

"_Nope. I've never been heartbroken in my life." I answer honestly. But in honesty, I had never had a boyfriend. And in honesty, all my life I had felt like a loser on the outside looking in._

"_What about you?" I giggled and asked. I felt flirty and full of energy for some reason._

_He didn't answer. Took a moment to stare off in space then looked back at me._

"_Do you want to do something with me?" He asked. "Some things very, very…naughty, perhaps?" A trill of lust fulfilled me for a moment; then intoxicating fear filling up with anxiety._

"_Perhaps." I smiled for a moment, as he led me up to Emma's brother, Elliot's room._

_The moments after that are a blur. But there is one thing for certain I know. Him and I. Zane and Cleo. Cleo and Zane. We were kissing recklessly. I felt his hands grip my legs, slowly creeping up; when I knew for certain this was wrong._

_So I pulled his devil mash directly up. And I stared into the eyes of Zane Bennett's._

"Hey, Cleo. Do you want something?" I shuddered out of my nightmare and looked at the smiling blond in front of me. Emma.

"Hey, Em. Um…" I look around the Juice Bar for a moment, making sure no one could read my thoughts. "I'll have a Pineapple Smoothie, please." I fake-smile at her. She nods.

"So I heard about what happened at my party." Emma said when she came back holding the clear glass.

"What?" I stuttered. She smiled in apology.

"Someone spiked the drinks, right? And I saw you practically dissolving the punch, I wanted to make sure you were okay." She smiled innocently.

I gulped with relief. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just a bit hung-over." My eyes zoomed the room in relief.

"And I also came to ask because… I'm having another party, and I want you to come." I was shocked. "I'm not inviting the people who spiked the drink, so everything should be fine." She said smiling, pleased.

"Um, okay. Why do I have to come?"

"Because! Did you forget! Its my annual sleepover party!" She shrieked enthralled.

"Oh. Right."

"The Masquerade was all my Dad's idea. Even though I got in trouble for the drinks, they still agreed to let me have this sleepover. And you, as always, have to come." She pleaded, as she stared back to where Wilfred, her boss was stationed.

"Yeah, sure." I mumbled with a nod.

"Great! I just knew I could count on you!" She laughed and hurried back to make more drinks.

I shuddered, thinking of how I could possibly get through another one of the Gilbert parties.

"Hey." I almost fell off my chair. It was that familiar voice; the one I had envisioned millions of ways moments before.

I turned around to see Zane. Nervous. Fidgety. Odd.

"We need to talk."

I agreed with him. We did. But I was too full of fear; the thundering heart rate I severed. I took a deep breath and nodded.

"Okay."

**A/N: How was that? …Well I hope you enjoyed, and I really got a kick out of having lots of Clane or Zeo fluff. Haha, I actually really enjoy that pairing. Press the review button or life won't go on. (well I know that makes you automatically NOT click it, but its worth a try). Happy writing. –zz.**


	2. Hidden Dark Scars

**Life As No One Knew**

**Copyright WillowSuzzaGleeee **

**A/N: Thanks for the nice reviews. Here is Rikki's chapter. Ah, I feel excitement already!**

**Rikki's POV:**

I hear them screaming again. The worst part was I knew what they were fighting about. Money, Money, Money, Money. That's the only thing they seem to care about.

But I don't even understand it; as mature as I am, I don't get the need they have to worry about pieces of paper; green, and the trouble and success in life the pieces of paper could cause them. And also, I don't think Mum realizes this, but we live in a fucking mansion. Okay, exaggeration, but we do live in one of the richest neighborhoods in town. They don't even think about the possible people with dreams and hopes and love that are given no opportunities because they have the misfortune of being poor.

Mum is a Deputy Sherriff. She gets paid (from my eyes) millions each week. Which in my mind, is making her a very rich woman. Dad, well… I really don't know what he's been doing for the past sixteen years.

Well, your probably thinking, that perhaps its not money they're fighting over. Maybe there's another issue in the mix. But I can't admit that. Because I don't want to admit that Mummy and Daddy don't love each other. I'm probably the only possible reason they're still together. But no, Mum hates me. She always screaming at me for being "wrong", and Dad's always a mopy mess, trolling around the house doing nothing; leaving at night to go drinking, while Mum and I stay alone.

Well, shit. That's my life, isn't it?

Not quite. I have no friends. Well, I suppose if you call Miriam Kent's old trash, Tiffany, who just follows me around because I'm the next richest girl at our school. Or the little fling I had between two dicks who were probably the most idiotic pricks I've ever met.

I shivered. Ew. Zane Bennett and Nate…well honestly I never even knew his last name.

I didn't understand why we kept moving. I didn't know if Mum understood it either. I was frightened. What if my Dad had gotten into some strange deal that he couldn't pay? Why did we keep moving to new town after town? Why did I have the strange feeling of unawareness constantly? I hated being treated small and unworthy, but that's exactly how I kept being treated. Like I wasn't mature enough to handle any situation.

But I could. Behind my deep layers of blond curls and my clever witty blue eyes hide a secret. One that no one could find out.

"Rikki, darling!" I shuddered, and quickly threw all the materials that were surrounding me into my cluttered book bag.

"Yes, Mum?" I answered in an annoyed tone.

She pounded my door open which revealed her perfect pale face with her billowy blond ringlets bouncing about. She had only been seventeen when she had me with my twenty-six year old dad. Ugh.

"Rikki, I told you I didn't like your door being closed." I shivered. Then she smiled. "Tonight we are going to have company. And I would really like it if you met one of your dad's…" She watched her words, "client's daughter, and got on with her."

I stared at Mum. "Get on with her? You mean now you want me to be a lesbian?" She rolled her eyes.

"No, Rikki. God, why do you always have your mind in the gutter? I swear, hunnie, you need to be more social. Its not good for you spending all this time alone. It just isn't healthy. Don't you want to invite your friends over sometime?"

"Mum, I don't have friends." I answered solemnly, and looked around my plain room my mum had offered to get a painter so many times.

"Oh, come on, sweetie, that isn't true. I've seen you bring around one or two guys to your room since we've moved." She started off pleasant, than looked at her nails probably wondering if she was displaying bad mothering skills in approving two teenagers, the opposite sex, both very straight, all alone in a room, with a bed, and other places.

"Yes, Mum. They aren't my friends. They're obnoxious jerks who need a good kick in the-" She stopped me.

"Your dad's client's daughter is just simply delightful, I hear. Well she has a million colleges screaming her name already, she has straight A's, had an insane musical talent, I hear, has participated in four clubs every semester and-"

"Okay, Mother. I get it. You want me to be more like her." I said bitterly.

Mum sat down on my purple bed. She sighed and looked at the floor.

"No, Rikki. I want you to be who you are. I know your independent; I was as well. But, sweetie, you don't always have to push everyone away."

"Why not? Its not like they want to get to know me."

"They would if you let them. You'd have so many more friends if people actually knew who you are."

My eyes stung and I felt a pull of heartache knawing at my sides. What made my Mum think she knew me so well? She only saw me once a day, and usually she broke in right after or before I had… My mind froze.

"And who am I, Mum? An odd rich girl who has no friends and spends her time walking alone on the beach?"

Mum just sighed. She kissed me on the forehead. "I hope you know I'm just trying to help. And Tiffany's your friend." I snorted. Seriously?

"Just promise me, tonight, you'll make the most of it? Your dad really needs it." Numbness passed through me until I felt an outburst of anger. This was really all about dad's unknown job which essentially just equaled money. That was all these idiots cared about.

"Of course, Mum." I fake smiled sweetly at her, just so she'd leave, when suddenly my phone buzzed. One new text message.

From: …Oh the delightful Zane Bennett.

I closed my eyes. When I had moved here, we had met at one of those wretchedly boring seminar before school started. He was cocky, but he invited me up to his Suite. I, had nothing else better to do, so I had told him yes. But when up there, he started to try and kiss me and get all up on me, until I suggested we'd go out on the balcony and he got all quiet. Turns out I had hit a weak spot, because he was deathly afraid of heights. Possible witnesses would have said we made a connection. But when he saw me at school, he acted like the same complete jerk he was when he was trying to get within my pants. So I told him to fuck off and leave me alone.

But he kept on provoking me. Saying absurd stuff to his mates about how I did things with him that I had never and would never do with him. His "best mate" Nate… was even more perverted than Zane. Kept whistling and shooting out all kinds of sexist remarks until I had slammed him against the wall and he had attempted to kiss me himself. I shuddered. Was it possible I was that irresistible?

Zane's text read: **RIKKI, NEED 2 TALK. PLZ LET ME X-PLAIN.**

Explain about what? The perhaps misfortune that he had in fact witnessed me changing, purposely; nude in all. He had been just so conviently peeping through my window on a tree branch staring as I stripped my shirt, bra, jeans, underwear-everything, and his perversity watched. Two days later I found a small black square in my shower. It turned out, it was a camera. Zane Bennett was dead. And he might as well have been. I told him I was going to sue him. And he had rudely taken off without a care. And now he wanted to explain himself?

I quickly pressed delete. Mum sighed, then left.

Little did I know I was in for a long and eventful afternoon.

"You must be Rikki!" The woman smiled a nine-inch smile and looked down on me as if I was a cute but noisy baby that could ruin the peace of quietness any single second.

"Yes." I mumbled and stared at the achening heels that were grouching my feet, squeezing and penetrating them until unbearable. I had made sure my I had a very long black, purple, yellow, and green fabric hanging down my legs, and connecting with my top. I wore my leather jacket just in case, to cover my arms.

"Well, Rikki, I have a…daughter your age. And she's just delighted to meet you. Bella…sweetie…?" Her eyes went sane once she found her "daughter". She was a lone dirty blond smiling among the crowd of adults. When she saw me, she smiled and waved. Soon, she stumbled upon over.

"Hey! I'm Bella." She smiled the same nine-inch smile her mother carried. Her mum looked at us, clearly pleased, then walked to go back to the conversation she was having with my own parents.

Bella's smile quickly diminished, and she stared at me like an actual person, halleighuah! "Hi." She said quietly, looking around the room as if searching for someone.

A question entangled itself deep in my thoughts. Did she know what my dad's actual job was, and what it had to do with all these people?

"Hey, I'm Rikki. Do you even know what they're talking about?" Bella looked surprised, she looked at me, seemed to be inspecting me, and at the same time intrigued for a split moment.

"You mean you don't know?" She looked around for a moment. I just stood there like a baffled buffoon, then finally shook my head.

"Oh." She looked down, seriously contemplating if she should tell me. Then she just smiled. "Its just business, I suppose." But I knew she knew something. Fortunately, I was too much of a teenager wanting nothing much to do with her parents to care.

"So…your new here, then?" Bella nodded. "I enter at Golden Coast view High in two weeks."

"Why the wait?" Bella suddenly became very uninterested, when her phone beeped and she man-handled it to her unaided eyes. She smiled for a moment, then looked at me.

"I just…need some time to settle in. Um, if you don't mind, I'd like you to meet my boyfriend, Will. He's new here like me…but um, his Mum and Dad work in the business too." _What Business? _

"Kay." I replied flatly.

She took my hand and we baffled through the crowd of shaken adults, and suddenly ran face to face with a blond haired guy with a genuine smile and innocent eyes.

"Hey! Willie!" Yuck, I thought eerily. "This is my new friend, Randy." I scoffed. Since when was I Barbie's new friend, and since when was I named Randy?

Willie looked at me and smiled after being kissed effusively by his girlfriend. He held his hand out. Did he seriously expect me to shake it?

"I'm Will. Bella and I have heard so much about you. We're really hoping-" Bella elbowed him, before mouthing something that I obviously didn't know about. I had never felt so outsiderish before-oh wait, I had. Every single day. It was as if I was immune to secrets.

"That we could become friends with you." He finished. I couldn't help noticing how mega-hottie-ish he was. "We're apparently going to be seeing a lot of each other." Since when?

Who were these people and how did they know me?

"Great." I answered unenthusiastically.

"So, Will, Rikki's got a pool and hot tub, along with a bar with smoothies and all that. I say, better there than the stables." Bella said uneasily. Yep, that was me. Spoiled little rich girl.

They soon decided how our day was going to end. We were all going to tan around the pool, never touching a slight drop of H2O , and "have fun", as they called it out letting the exclusive sun burn our skins, and staying out of the water. Way to totally not be the third wheel, Rikki. They had extremely high hopes that we would all be instant friends. Why?

They soon dispatched themselves in a couples fashion into the lounge chairs. Bella spied at the pool in a somewhat more knowingly way. And then the day went on.

"So, Rikki, do you have a boyfriend?" Bella asked excitedly, like she couldn't wait for me to invite her to a sleepover and tell her all my secrets.

"Nope." It wasn't a lie. I positively absolutely detested Zane. It didn't matter that we actually had kissed on that balcony. He had tried to persuade me to do things I didn't want to do. And then he lied about it. Prick.

Bella looked down, awkwardly. Will looked at Bella, and they were completely in some out-of-sync world that I was never going to understand. She shrugged.

"Have you heard about Mako Island?" He asked me, self-assumingly.

I stared at him and shook my head.

"Its really odd." Bella commented.

I smiled at both of them. "Well, if you'll excuse me, I'd like to go to the Ladies Room." They both nodded, and I was off.

On the way, I found a sharp rock lying on the ground next to the pool. I quaintly picked it up and fleeted myself to a bathroom where I stared at my pale face, mirroring my every move.

And I watched her start to cry. Even if it seemed for no reason at all. And then I saw her stare at the rock, and then to the fragility of her wrist. And then she shook her head and finally chose a part of her thigh that was covered by her dress. She cussed when the first scar shattered itself within her, and the sigh. Because she needed to feel the pain; to know that it was real.

**A/N: Yes, as you can see. Not turning into mermaids has screwed everything of for these guys. Although this is very dark compared to the Original H2O, its just as realistic (if you can consider mermaids realistic). There is a bit of magic, dark thrill, and exciting secrets to come. But to be gifted with future knowledge, you have to click that button below. l**

** V**


	3. Dangerous First Impressions

**Life As No One Knew It**

**Copyright WillowSuzzaGleeee **

**A/N: Thanks for all the many lovely comments. Here is Bella's chapter. Jee, maybe I have a thing for making the least-known about characters having secrets.**

**Bella's POV:**

Once Rikki left, Will and I stare at each other between the white lounge chairs. How I longed to dive into the water of the pool; perhaps even the Ocean and watch the fish dance as they stared at me; wondrous and frightened. Because there was something wrong with me. I wasn't like everyone else. I was… I was a mermaid.

And Rikki was naïve. She didn't know. About what her parents were invested in. They were invested in a secret society of which adults dealed with the distress of supernatural happenings of adolescences or people under the age of eighteen.

Little did she know, I was one of them. Will knew. I remembered the sparkling sensation I had felt when I had finally told him the truth; my secret. We met two years ago. I was fifteen at that time. I had turned into a mermaid at the expense of the magic of Mako Island and the untimely fashion where I just happened to stumble upon into a Moon Pool with a Full Moon hovering over it; sparkling it's magic within me.

And Will knew. He knew about this secret society helping the paranormality of this world. The werewolves, vampires, demons, monsters, and of course mermaids. Once I told him, he had persuaded me. Persuaded me so much, I agreed to runaway with him.

It wasn't like my parents didn't care. I was always on the run. Which was a constant set back for the reason Rikki's parents and the other adults have to move around so much.

I remembered that day like it was yesterday.

_"Will, you can't tell anybody. You have to promise me you won't tell anybody! I'll be a science experiment. I would never see you again and…Will, I would have to hate you. Because if you told, you would ruin my life. But you already told, didn't you?" My eyes had streamed down the magnificent amount of tears. I was heartbroken._

_ A week ago, he had sensed something of a secret. He knew that I would never allow myself to touch even a drop of water. And he had poured water on me. I had ran out of his boat shack [which was in Sydney at the time], and dived into the lake beside it. But he had seen. The orange unique tale that I had taken pride in and done all I could to keep it a secret._

_ He didn't talk to me for a week after that. I was left alone faithless, scared, and to cry a lot._

_ But at this moment we were standing in the middle of a street parade. It was the only place I was able to find him. And I was shouting at him through my sobs, trying to hide the passionate love that was tingling at my fingertips._

_ "Bella! I can't hear you!" The trumpets went louder. His mouth was a moving hole. _

_ "WHAT?" I shouted in exasperation._

_ Then the huge carriage pushed us upon a ditch. It would have been quite funny if I hadn't believed this a life or death situation. We rolled and rolled, and I heard Will shriek. Suddenly we were both laying on our back staring up at the clouds. And for some strange reason we both started reproducing laughter._

_ Then we stared at each other. And my tears came again. And suddenly he was holding me, soothing me, and if I remember correctly the moment he let out those three words; "I love you."; everything changed._

_ I watched him get on his knees, nearly in tears. He stroked my cheek and kissed me time after time and then finally sat for a moment. There was this long gutted awkward silence in which we both said nothing._

_ "Bella, I love you. I love you so damn much. I don't know how it happened. But the moment I saw you walking alone, I knew. I knew that I would be in love with you. And I am." He sighed of relief once he saw the inkling of a smile sprout on my face._

_ "Bella, I could never tell anyone your secret. Its magical, and amazing. And its who you are…" For a moment he looked desperate and despaired._

_ "But Will…" Tears soaked down my chin, and then to my neck. "I don't want it. I don't want to be a mermaid. Because when I am, nobody understands. And I want them to, but they; even you…You could never…"_

_ "I want to try, Bella, though. Is that too much to ask?"_

_ "I just wish there was a way to…to…fix this. My one wish every single birthday since I was nine was to be normal. It never happened." He took a deep breath._

_ "Well then I can help you." He said, as if completely understanding what used to be a foreign object. "My Mum. She's part of a secret society. They could help you."_

_ I grinned at him. Suddenly there was a light at the end of the tunnel. Somehow I felt that in the end this could all be worth it. If I was with Will._

_ "But, before any other ado… Miss… Miss Isabella Grace Hartley…would you do the honor…of marrying me?" I almost puked. His question was so unexpected. I had never expected this. I thought he had hated me a few minutes ago._

_ But I saw it was true. He was holding…Oh lord, he was holding the purple ring he had won for me in that Pizza Place in one of those idiotic little games where you try to get the scooper to pick up a prize. He had gotten that on our first date. After that I had worn it for all time. But I guess I had dropped it in his boat shed._

_ I was about to laugh at the irony of all of this. But his face was serious if not a little scared I would say…no. I didn't know what to do, what to say. Everything appeared foreign to me._

_ "Will…" He nodded, his complete attention focused on me. That's when I realized the piece of paradise he was handing to me. He loved me. He wanted to help me with my secret; perhaps even get rid of it. And he wanted to get married._

_ "I…I think I do."_

And after that, we had talked. A long and bitter time. About anything and everything. We decided we were going to get married. And that I would runaway with him, and that his Mum's secret society was going to find a way to undo the curse's wrath upon me.

And here we were. In the midst of the secret society's members getting to know one's daughter. But Rikki wasn't here right now. She had left. And I had no idea why.

Will was smiling that boyish smile admiring me as I had slipped into that flashback, and at the moment I knew he was going to say something that made me want to pull him into my fantasy moment, Rikki was there. Coughing. Looking pretty…bad.

She was holding a towel over her hands to her knees. And she looked uncomfortable and scared. "Hey, Rikki!" I smiled at her. I really did appreciate her and love the fact that her family was helping me. So I told myself no matter how much I wouldn't get along with people in the real world. These people were kind of my family, and cared about me way more than my real one ever did.

"So, you two up for a swim?" She referred to the pool as she glanced down at her towel.

I immediately shook my head, as Will did the same. "No, we're good."

"Oh." She walked over to her chair with her back to us and pull a blue sweatshirt over her dress. She sighed swiftly then exchanged her interest to us.

"Um…" She glanced at her phone. "Do you guys wanna get a smoothie? We could go to the Juicenet Café."

"You mean the Juice Bar?" Will smiled at her. And I chuckled.

"Sure." She said sarcastically. I laughed.

"Actually, I'd just adore a Mango Smoothie right now. What about you, Willie?" I smiled at him, and he clucked his tongue in a smile. I glared happily at my purple ring resting at on my finger.

"Sure. If that's what you want." With one of those eerie no-one-knows-but-us stares at each other we looked at Rikki, and we were off. Sadly I didn't know what was waiting for me at that Café.

The moment we got there, screaming was taking place. These two brunettes [both utterly adorable if you were bisexual]; one female; one male were screeching at each other. Will and I just stopped there for a moment. I guess we were in the mood to see something interestinger than our own strange lives.

"What?" The girl shrieked. She was beautiful in a non-weird way. Then again so was Rikki.

"I just told you. I would like to invite you to Spring Fling Dance." The boy said calmly. From the side of my eyes, I saw Rikki's face flicker in anger and then in longing. She looked absolutely heartbroken. I felt for her.

The brunette girl looked surprised and startled. "Um…Zane…." She looked around and her eyes met us. She stared at us in "Mind-Your-Own-Business" sort of way. I looked down.

"What about Miriam?" 'Zane' perpetually twisted his head in a disgusted way, then gulped.

"What about her?"

Coughing. Rikki was coughing loudly. Just loud enough for Zane to turn his head and see her scorned face. Zane tsked a moment, gave Rikki a boyish grin, then took Brunette's hand and walked away.

Okay, I was officially confused. Not that I specifically cared about Rikki or the brunette girl and boy's love life.

"Well, that was weird." A strange female voice said in mockery. I gasped as I saw the shocking eerie familiar face of a girl with blonde straight hair, a professional looking face, and a simple smile. All my instincts screamed at me. DANGER. DANGER. DANGER.

I shivered. "Who…Who are you?" Her eyes flickered when she caught sight of me. We both exchanged bad feelings toward each other and a strong strange distaste automatically.

She scoffed. "Emma… Emma Gilbert. That girl-" She was now looking at Rikki, and pointing to where Zane and the Brunette had run off to. "She's Cleo, my friend."

Rikki grunted. "So, even the perfect in-the-know Miss Emma Gilbert doesn't know why Cleo and Zane have chemistry like they've been fucking at it." Rikki smiled slyly. Emma frowned, clearly disgusted at Rikki's thoughts.

She focused on Will. "I'm Emma. You must be new around here." She placed her hand in the air, and he shook it. A deep trill of jealousy scaled within me. Was it just me or did she smile at him a little longer than normal?

"William Benjamin. Diver. And newly arrived here on the Gold Coast." His eyebrows wavered at me, and I knew. Will, in his formal tone, was letting me know I had nothing to worry about. He just got me like that.

"Cool." Shit, this girl was annoying me already, and she didn't even know my name.

"And I'm Bella, his girlfriend." Emma frowned again but tried a smile that easily vanished when we glanced into each other's eyes. Another shudder of knowing danger.

Emma worked at the Juice Bar. We walked in and tried to enjoy our juices but no matter what that sense that she was danger and trouble and a bad presence never left. Her eyes shone blue, but there was some coldness about them. Like she might destroy everything that was ever once mine.

**A/N: So…thoughts, please? My gosh, now for some questions to spark a review. Why do you think Emma and Bella get icky-feelings when seeing each other? Do you think Bella will find out about Rikki's secret? Love Wella? Hate it? Oh, and obviously some Clane haters. Give me your flame, concrit, and praise. I'm used to the strangeness of the internet.**


	4. Mysterious Fish Killer

**Life As No One Knew It**

**Copyright WillowSuzzaGleeee **

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews! This story might become brilliant if you push me enough with your reviews. Anyways, I realized I just adore writing H2O fanfictions [I practically haven't written any other fandom except for H2O and my own manuscripts] But I wanted to hear your thoughts on writing a different fandom. Any suggestions? Remember to hit the button and say what you thought of this chapter.**

**Emma's POV:**

I didn't like that girl. In fact I utterly loathed her. From the second I saw her, cold fear and hatred had poured the soles of my skin, and told me to prepare to be drived to insanity by the evil found in a dirty blonde haired girl with dancing light green eyes. One that was named Bella.

I led them into the Juice Bar, and I was forced to serve them. The Rikki one wanted the strange combination of Blueberries and Pineapples. Will and Bella wanted two Strawberry and Bananas with a touch of Mangos.

I really did wonder what was up with Cleo and Zane… Last I knew of; He bullied her. She detested him. That couldn't have been a spark, could it? Not that I exactly cared. My top priority was making my Slumber Party the best since all these years, training for swim competitions, and finding out just what this strange vibe with Bella was all about.

I shouldn't have specifically cared what Bella, Will, and Rikki were talking about. Honestly, I hadn't had a clue Rikki actually had any friends, nonetheless friends like Bella and Will. She always seemed a bit strange to me.

I had been a bit of a creep to stand in the unseen hallway listening to what Bella was saying to Will, and watch Rikki look around bored waiting for something terrible to happen. Bella kept laughing and whispering to Will, which not only clearly annoyed Rikki; it annoyed me.

God, did she have to act like such a priss?

Suddenly, I realized someone was referring to me in a somewhat amused, somewhat impatient command. He was sitting in a booth, waving me over, impatiently wondering where his drink was.

Right, Emma. Your on the job.

I nodded at the cute guy, embarrassed, then ran into the back to make the smoothie.

Once I came out, I was utterly steaming of red blushes screeching my embarrassment to the world, that I had just dumped a Raspberry Booster upon the cute guy's shirt and there he was laughing at me.

It was unbearable; letting him chuckle his way into a fit of laughter. I got the urge to slap him, and then remembered who I was. Emma Gilbert. Employee Of The Month. Nice, Sensible Girl.

"I am so sorry! I'll get you some paper towels. And…a new drink. Possibly a new shirt. Again, I am just…completely and utterly shocked at my clumsiness." He was still laughing. An actual drunken type of laughter. Didn't he hear my apology? Did this guy lack all manners? Then again, I was the one who poured a drink on him. If he wanted to laugh about it, I'd better let him.

Finally he stopped. It was after I had come back with many towels, and a new juice; He smiled at me. "The name's Ash. Who might you be?"

Blushing, yet again. Did he actually…like me? A fitful of fancying took place within my butterfly-filled stomach.

"Um…I'm Emma. Uh…." God, what the fuck was my problem? "Sorry about that." I looked down at his shirt with a grimace, trying to be a tad more smoother.

I heard Rikki's laughter from a distance. She saw this. Will saw this. Bella was seeing this.

"Its fine. I like clumsy girls." Aw, my insides tickled to my mind. Wait, he just called me clumsy. He needed to get it straight in his head; Emma Gilbert was not clumsy.

"I'm not usually clumsy. I'm just…"

"Getting nervous around me?"

He was right. There was no way getting around it. Once I saw his hottie face and clever eyes, I completely dropped everything I was doing [holding], and flew upon him.

"I actually am having a bad day." I didn't lie. After a few moments of watching him sip his drink and stare at his mates, I realized I shouldn't be standing there anymore. "Well, enjoy your drink."

"Wait! Emma, maybe we could…Go out so time?" Ash asked with a cocky knowing grin. As if I would just float to a mushy melted mess on the floor because he could possibly like me…a lot.

"Too busy." I muttered, then turned to make more smoothies.

"Well, what about Sunday night? You could come to my house and I could make you a whole dinner. Then we could watch a movie."

My heart longed for my vocal chords to pronounce a "Yes". But my mind was sinister to all boys that thought I was easy.

"I have swimming practice. Sorry." I walked away with an eye roll, hopefully leaving him stunned. And with that I moved on with my day.

**. . .**

When I got home, I realized that today was going to be a very terrible day. The moment I saw my Mum's begrudged face scorning and full of desire to rip my lungs out; I knew something was wrong.

She was standing near the kitchen, and Elliot was sitting on the couch; looking possibly scared.

"Emma!" Mum screeched at me the moment I walked a foot near her.

"Yes?" I asked innocently.

"You sit down here right now, and just pray that I find some insanity to not tell your father about this incident."

I stared at her incredulously. What was she talking about? "Um, excuse me. What are we talking about?"

"Oh, Emma, don't give me that crud." She scowled fiercely in her glare upon me. "I think you know what I'm talking about."

I looked at her with questioning in my eyes. This was the type of scene that happened in a TV Show, not in my life.

"Seriously, Mum-"

She ignored me. "Tell me how, Emma, you could possibly buy drugs and leave them in the kitchen? With all our morals and respect in this family, you choose to disgrace me like that! How could you possibly-"

"Mum! Mum! What the heck are you talking about?" Her face teased red.

"Emma, I'm speaking of that I just found Elliot eating some type of snorting cocaine shit thinking it was a snack! And I know it's yours."

Confusion baffled me. What? Elliot didn't know about cocaine? I did when I was twelve. Strange. Oh, yeah, Mother was just accusing me of being a drug junkie high enough to leave my cocaine in the kitchen.

"Mum! I would….never ever do drugs! I wouldn't even know where to get them. You have to believe me. I didn't put them there. It was someone else!" My eyes exploited at this thought. Someone else…That could only be Dad, if Elliot really was telling the truth [and actually I believed him]. But Dad? No…It wasn't possible.

"You expect me to believe anyone else in this house but you is capable of such terribleness." Tears stung my eyes. "You are the teenager in this family. Therefore-"

"What about trust, Mum? You know I would never do drugs!"

She just shook her head. And I knew the placid look upon her face too well. Doubt. She didn't want to believe that….that Dad could have cocaine.

"Emma! I cannot believe your trying to deny this!" I just blocked her out. Completely. Until I heard her scream "Your sleepover is canceled! I already called all of the invites to decline. I hope you're happy about your punishment!"

Then I lost it. I think I screamed and cried a lot. Had a minor breakdown. Then ran up to my bedroom.

My sleepover was usually the best night of the year. Mum couldn't just ruin that because she was in denial that my dad had a drug issue. My dad had a drug issue! This was terrible! Gah, I hated this. Why was today becoming so sinister?

I ran up to my room and started bawling. And I sat there for many moments. My life felt like pieces of crap building up a huge mountain of shit; that even then could easily fall. I didn't like today. Not at all.

**. . .**

When I was finally able to stop shrieking my sobs. I realized something seemed different about my room. And then I saw why. On my mirror was a taped picture. One of Mako Island.

**. . .**

I gulped. I walked over to the mirror and I swapped the picture down and placed it under my mattress. I chose to ignore the weird revelation I was being watched and possibly stalked.

But when I saw the message of IM's from a mysterious person in purple ink entitled "FishyMysteries", I almost stopped breathing.

She/He's sentence was loud and clear. And it contained something that forced me to listen.

_**YOUR SLUMBER PARTY NOW RESIDES AT MAKO ISLAND ON APRIL 17**__**TH**__**. INVITE THE NAMES ON BACK OF MAKO PHOTO. IF NOT, YOUR DRUGGED DAD DIES. IF YOU TELL YOUR FAMILY, HE DIES. IF YOU TELL THE POLICE, HE DIES. IF YOU TELL ANYONE, HE DIES. DO AS I SAY, AND YOUR DAD WILL BE WITH YOU SOON ENOUGH. Here's proof. xoxo.**_

Below was a video of him. My father. He was tied up and surrounded by brown wall. No trace of where he was. He had many red scratches scarring his face. His eyes sad and hopeless of despair. He stared right into the camera.

"Emma, please… Please tell them that I love you all. Just plea-"

The video turned black, and I heard his yelp of help.

**. . .**

I stood there for a moment, shuddering in the terribleness I had just witnessed. There was nothing I could do but listen to what the mysterious anonymous FishyMysteries one said. I wanted to tell my family, the police. Make everything okay. Get my dad back. But I realized I was possibly a newly-sold slave to whatever the possible-murderer fancied.

I ran over to my mattress and realized I would need to send out the invites right away. They were right. On the back of the picture of the dark glare of Mako Island with a Full Moon topping it; was a long list of names.

The one's I remember most:

-EMMA GILBERT [party-planner] will invite:

-CLEO SERTORI

-RIKKI CHADWICK

-BELLA HARTLEY

-ZANE BENNETT

-LEWIS MCCARTNEY

-WILL BENJAMIN

to her party at Mako Island on April 17th.

[AND REMEMBER I WILL BE THERE].

There were more names. But not ones I'd care to remember. I wondered if this meant that one of the names above was my Dad's adultnapper. Things felt too fucked up already. Why did they want this party so much? And was it possible they were right under my fingertips?

**. . .**

The invitations were sent; that Emma Gilbert [I] would be planning a rescheduled event of a party at Mako Island. Little did I know, that night was a Full Moon. And Full Moons are the nights full of magic where the crazies like to come out and play.

**A/N: This chapter was slow getting into, but I feel this story is starting to really get epic [IMO, of course]. Anyways, I have to give credit to the amazing book series, Private, for the whole "You tell …, He dies". Anyways, I've realized since reading that; I've developed a knack for mysteries. Remember to review with your awaited suspense. Next chapter starts at the party, where I tell you, shit is going to go down.**

**REVIEW. :]**


	5. Pure Ecstasy

**Life As No One Knew It**

**Copyright WillowSuzzaGleeee **

**A/N: **

** DRUG USE is to take place within this chapter. As well as SEXUAL HARASSMENT. Just a little side-note if you don't want to read that.**

**I'd like to point out that the next four chapters are all happening at the same time, so…yeah…Well….this is it. Where everything goes haywire. At a party. On a Full Moon. At Mako Island. Enjoy. =D**

**Cleo's POV:**

I couldn't help but feel a tad bit nervous as Lewis launched his boat faster and faster through the wild waves echoing through the waters. Lewis didn't face me. I knew he still loathed me since after the event in which I insulted him in about a thousand ways after he politely dueled himself in asking me to go to one solid dance. I laughed and humiliated him in front of my friends. And now, today, I had modestly asked him if he could drive himself and myself to Emma's mysterious party; one on the dangerous Mako Island.

Somehow, we approached the large magnificently elegant island. I saw crowds of teenagers talking, laughing, and shrieking. I had only came because after a talk with Miriam on the phone; she insisted I come and represent both of us. I had told her never; It was too dangerous. But after thinking it over and securing safety with Lewis, I decided better of it.

"Hey, Lewis?" I said quietly. He turned around slightly. His blonde hair had gotten out of it's weird long faze, and now was cut into an updo that made him look…cute, kissable, and very worthy. I sighed.

"Thank you so much. For everything. For the boat ride…For being my friend all those years…Some one really is going to love you one day." I smiled my practiced and perfected girl-next-door smile and he just frowned at me.

"But, Cleo…I'll never find someone like you…I just won't." Lewis looked down at the dark sea. We had now officially arrived at Mako Island but all I wanted to do was give Lewis a huge hug and tell him it was okay.

"Yes, Lewis. You will. And she'll be better than me. She'll be smart, and funny, and beautiful-"

"You mean, you?"

"No, Lewis." I stifled to hide my blushing cheeks.

Slowly I lifted my hand and squeezed his hand. We sat there for a moment, smiling at each other. But it all went tumbling downhill when I heard the mumbling grunt of Zane Bennett.

"Oh, look who it is! Little hottie Cleo Sertori and her science geek!" My face burnt the color of tomatoes. I turned to be pointed in the annoyingly gorgeous face of Zane. He smirked at me when I went even redder. I looked at Lewis and threw my hands from him. I picked myself up, faked disgust, and noisily walked through the sand; waves crashing at my feet.

I hated water. I didn't know why; all I knew was that I did. Ever since I was a kid; all I could picture was being dragged deep within the darkest parts by a sea creature and suffocating without the air I needed to survive. That's all I saw when I saw the ocean. Danger. And Magic. Magic of the Unknown.

I finally found myself walking with the crowd of people that were here. Looking around I noticed Emma thinking intently on a chair watching the ocean. I walked over to her. Not noticing the lustful smirking of Zane Bennett, the clucking of Nate's tongue, Lewis walking off into the jungle, and the random people scattered off the island's beaches, I stripped myself of my dress shirt, and into my purple polka dotted bikini. I heard Nate whistle.

I slouched down and watch Emma's eyes drift far out to sea. She gulped nervously.

"Hey!" I smiled at her. With Miriam gone, who else was I to talk to?

"Oh," She looked at me like noticing me for the first time. "Hi." She looked at her watch.

"Come on, Em. Lighten up. This is your party!" I giggled at her freakish in-charge-need.

"Yeah, I dunno…I just can't wait for it to be over." I frowned at her.

I was about to shame her into believing tonight could be whatever she wanted it to be when I heard the annoyed shriek of Miriam Kent.

"Cleeeeooooo! Get your tanned ass over here." I squelched inside. Miriam was back? I thought she was gone for a whole week of Spring Break. Apparently not.

She was standing right beside Nate waving her prissy hand at me smiling the faux grin of friendship. I rolled my eyes. "Zaney, here has something for us…!" She giggled excitedly after clapping her hands in an all too disturbing manner.

I shrugged at Emma and galloped to my best mate's side. She was talking excessively to Nate and Zane and all I could do was stare down at my toes.

I could not believe Zane asked me to go to a Dance with him. We were not compatible people. He was the jerkish mean bad boy. I was the shy popular good girl who never got into trouble.

"Zane's got us some….special pills." Miriam smiled at me naughtily. My mouth went in the setting of an O. Zane has drugs? My mind went dark.

I looked at Zane's crudish face fumbling with something large in his pocket. He pulled out a plastic bag [a large one] of different colored pills.

I gulped and looked over at Emma. She didn't seem to care. She took a tired glance at Zane then rolled her eyes and returned to the sea.

"What is it?" I asked meekly. There was no way I was going to take those drugs. Especially pills. Call me a loser, but I always had a tremendous fear of choking. I had so many fears. Also one of a possibility of being with Zane Bennett.

"Are you kidding?" Nate clucked. Zane chuckled at me in a cute devilish boyish way. I frowned. He really didn't have to laugh at me if he thought this was going to win him some points.

"It's Ecstasy." He answered with a firm grin. I shuddered and looked up at sky. It was getting dark. I could see the outline of a Full Moon just above me, hovering over Mako, like it owned it. I shivered.

Miriam was already taking a pill, thrusting the poison into her body, and hiccupping after. Zane waited as Nate swigged in within himself and taking off to the ground of sand. Zane peered at me with question.

"No. I don't do drugs." I said cautiously. I knew what to do in this situation. I wasn't stupid.

"Oh, come on! Cleo, stop being such a sulky little prep. You never have any fun." Nate growled. I winced. _Drugs were not fun._

"He's right." Miriam shrieked. I steadied my eyes at her. The effects of Ecstasy were only to take place within an hour.

Suddenly I watched as several crazy teenagers groped through the sand and prowled on Zane to get a few pills or more. Some people crushed them and snorted them through their noses. Some just gulped them down without a second thought and went on with their night.

Soon enough I started hearing excited and happy shrieks as just the thought of taking drugs was enough ecstasy they could handle.

Zane clenched his fingers around the few pills he still had left. He waved them in front of me like a bull seeing it's red cape and knowing it's deep urge and lust to rip it from the hands of the person who doubted it's capability.

"You shouldn't. You could overdose after even one pill." I warned him, meekly.

"I've done it before, Cleo. It's okay. You don't have to do anything you don't want to. I still consider you a hot chick." His smiled wavered at me. I blushed once again.

"As if I should care what Zane Bennett thinks…" I mumbled but my eyes forced themselves at the pills.

"Oh, I think you do. It's not a matter of should, it's do you? And I vote that Cleo Sertori cares very much about what Zane Bennett thinks…Like…did he think she was good at making out…?"

My eyes glowered at where Miriam was sipping a pink drink of some kind furiously. My cheeks tightened.

"If he thinks Cleo can have any fun…" He smirked down at the colorful pills pleading for a mouth to leak it's stimulates into.

I suddenly became aware of all the people around me. Dancing, drinking, laughing, shrieking…I should have never come… But looking up at Zane's beautiful brown eyes; I knew I was right to come…because something huge…something amazing was about to take place…

"Zane Bennett, I'll show you fun. But you better pay attention if you hope to learn anything to place into that careless frivolous mind of yours." And with that I grabbed two pills and gulped them both down after each other.

I shrieked in carelessness and stared up at the dark sky. The night was just about to begin. And with that full moon in the sky; anything could happen.

. . .

Zane and I galloped into the sunset after that. Well actually, we skipped off into the jungle. The very dangerous jungle of a deserted island. Just the feeling of being free was enough to make my head twirl.

I no longer was misguided in feelings of worry of what could go wrong with the help of drugs to get our feelings in order. Zane and I danced together in dizzying circles. We shrieked laughter off into the night. We pondered the Island of Unknown.

Everything around me seemed brighter, more alive. After we split gulping down the wondrous stimulants we were in a mess of kissing and spit trading. It didn't matter that I was loosing control if I loved every minute of it.

I heard the rushing of water soon enough. We were heading toward a mess of a river trailing into the Island's land. I had a quickened thought of fear that quickly diminished when I saw the fire-breathing hatred pouring from Zane's eyes.

"What's wrong, Zane?" I scoffed. He swerved his hatred right behind me. I peered over to come face to face with Lewis.

"What…What…Is she on drugs?" I heard the muttered gasp of Lewis. I shrieked at him. He was such a loser. Why couldn't he just leave me alone? Oh yeah, he was a sickened heartbroken little prick who I'd gave the friend card.

Zane cackled at him. My mind and vision went blurry but soon enough I saw Zane take a punch at Lewis. For a moment my heart stopped a beat, but then it was all driven out by appreciation of Zane. He wanted to be with me so much. He'd even….Lewis's last scream was heard as he traveled to his plummet to the thundering waters of the stream.

. . .

Zane and I giggled at each other. Then he took my hand and we settled on falling upon ourselves to even deeper within the jungle.

I remember him sitting me down in the middle of deep trees. There were lanterns of fire obviously set up for the party. I mental noted if I ever remembered to thank Emma for that. This party was the best night of my life. If only I knew what was to come…

He started to kiss me rapidly; a deep lustful passionate grip that kept me tingling for more. I started to pull his chest towards mine. He gripped my hair and started sucking down my face. I had an inkling I might have a couple of hickeys by tomorrow. No, I thought frightened. I didn't want this. What was I doing?

I quaintly pushed his face away from mine. For a moment his forehead was a wrinkle of confusion, then he smiled at me. "Already got it, sweetie." And with that he whipped out a small package that screamed "Enhanced Women Pleasure". No…

Before I knew it he was pulling his shirt off and revealed his bare tanned chest. He was coming towards me, now. I hit his cheek with a slap. We both stared at each other numbing in slowness.

Then he kissed my hand. "I get it, Cleo. You're scared, and that's normal. I love you, you know? Well, I don't know exactly if I do, but…I thought I did. See, you're the good little girl. And I'm the bad guy. But not really…see, it's just a front, image, of some sort…yeah. Anyways, I was thinking one day; it's right. You and I…"

He chattered away. I looked around us. Something felt creepy. Eerie. The fire from the lanterns cast shadows around the surrounding trees around us. I felt out-of-control. Too out of control. Things were too blurry. I felt flashes of regret.

Zane had stopped talking, I noticed. He was grinning at me again.

He decided I had decided I wanted to have sex with hi,

He groped me and started kissing down my chest. I was wearing the bikini so it wasn't that hard for him. I shoved his meaty little hands and sucking lips away but they came back. I heard myself start to shout.

"Zane, I don't want this. Stop." But he wasn't. He kept thrusting himself on me. But this was Zane Bennett the guy I knew my whole life. He was not going to rape me. That just wasn't going to happen. It couldn't.

I felt him grab my breasts and I squelched inside. He was leaving a trail of kisses along my skin; anywhere and everywhere. He still had that condom placed in his hand.

"ZANE! STOP IT! GET YOUR FUCKING HANDS OFF ME NOW!" I finally screamed. His snout was in my privates now. This was getting bad, fast.

I shoved a punch at him but it did no good. I was about to give a full blown kick in the balls when a light flashed before me. Hot lightning zigzagged upon the ground. It had knocked Zane out.

Zane Bennett, with his shirt off, his hair blown back, lie on the ground surrounded by fire. He had been hit and now he wasn't awake. My life was in flames and what's worse I could feel dark Full Moon magic surrounding me; threatening me at every single second.

**A/N: Again, so sorry if it was a tad too dark in some areas. I'm dark sometimes :/…Anyways, wondering where this is going? I promise the plot is wretched and completely messed up, like everything I write so stay faithful that this'll end with hopelessness and despair and hit the review button. =D -zz**


	6. A Twisted Friend, Love, and Island

**Life As Magic Knew It**

**Copyright WillowSuzzaGleeee **

**A/N: OK, the amount of different people sending in reviews is epic [at least for me]: so thank you once again SO MUCH. **

**BTW: Epic change. The title is now Life As Magic Knew It. It will make more sense as the series develops more.**

**Okay, this is Rikki's chapter, which takes place at a different time than Cleo's, but all on the same day and revolving around THE party. Anyways, perhaps not what you're exactly looking for in this chapter, but hopefully it will be just as epic.**

**Rikki's POV:**

I slipped out easily into the depths of the roads. I adored the thrill of terror of the thoughts of something hitting me as I engraved the middle of the path. I was walking towards Will's house. Apparently Bella and Will lived together. How appropriate. Not.

I smiled. The day had just begun for me but it was early afternoon. I had decided I would enhance the invitation to a party of a girl who probably hated me. But I decided to go anyways. Maybe it would be fun. And Mum was right; I did need to make more friends.

Bella was perfect to bring to the mysterious party of Mako Island.

When I arrived at Will's house; I was never baffled and stunned by the huge atmospheric house of his's, with so many attractions it should have been a resort. I was used to it. This royalty's privileged life was mine. And I never took notice of it.

I was about to hit the bell that rung so the poor Housekeeper would thrift to see who could possibly be interrupting the rich when an odd jolt took place within me. I rang the bell anyway.

"Hello?" came the micro-funny voice from inside the house.

I smiled with no point. "Hi. This is Rikki…Chadwick." I waited but it was silent.

"Yes, Miss Chadwick, come in." came the automated voice.

I stared in disbelief as the gates went open. I walked along the driveway until I was greeted by a professional-looking man who nodded at me. I looked down at my clumsy thrifty clothes; a sparkly casual purple dress with shorts silver tights. I didn't look professional at all. I was walking upon the porch when he shook his head. Damn, this dude was confusing.

I trailed upon anyway. I trampled up the long winding staircase and came to a large bedroom with a very big; very _bouncy _looking bed. I grinned in dirtiness. The walls were covered in posters of many pictures. All mostly the same. Bella and Will. I rolled my eyes. They were obsessed with each other.

My eyes went blurry when I found a notebook paper taped to the wall. The writing didn't make sense.

_The human boy is in love. The human boy is in love with me. He loves a dark creature; one mysterious and one supposedly untrue. He is in love with a sea creature; one with her long beautiful hair and her twinkling green eyes all fallen upon her long tail. We know how this story goes. She ends up heartbroken and he ends up in shutters; cold and alone on the ocean floor. All because he is in love._

Right below there was a photo of both of them; faded, and in black and white. Slightly ripped, and depressing, really. The writing frightened me. Well, it really shouldn't have. Bella could troll on about cursed loves all she wanted; but it seemed too real, and too dark. Too magical to describe a relationship between a Bella Hartley and Will Benjamin.

"RIKKI!" A female voice shouted my name suddenly.

My skin prickled in shock and shame until I wondered why I felt bad for being in Bella and Will's room. I was just innocently looking for her so we could go to a party.

"Yes?" I asked in an odd off voice. I knew normal rich people were terrible. End of story.

The lady was dressed in vintage attire. She looked too pretty to be a maid so I supposed she could be a Housekeeper. But please, this couldn't be Will's mother, could it? She stared at me in an off way. Like she was inspecting me. Seeing if she could trust me.

"Bella is out back." She grimaced. "On the trampoline." Her eyes were foggy. "Will won't be back until tomorrow night." She said coldly with a hint of knowing.

I smiled and nodded. All fake, as I ran through the room; as far as I could possibly be from the lady with the Cold Eyes.

. . .

Bella was lying down in a dead-looking shape on a large trampoline next to a nice cold looking pool. I was urged to jump into the vibrant splashy freezing water but my feet retaliated. I remembered what I came here for.

I slowly walked up to Bella's small lying frame. Her dirty blonde hair fell around her face covering her aqua eyes. She smiled in her sleep.

I did the unthinkable Rikki Chadwick move and slapped her face. She winced them returned to her deep slumber. I sighed, annoyed. It was 3 pm, and she was asleep on her boyfriend's trampoline? Weird much?

_But she's the only friend you seem to have, _I told myself bitterly. I ignored the voices of my head and pulled her hair. Not even a twitch.

I decided to work my screaming abilities and screeched at her in giggles: "BELLA! WAKE UP! WE'RE GOING TO THE FIRST PARTY OF MY LIFE." But still; just that odd eerie smile.

After going out with Will to the Juice Bar and that weird confrontation with Emma; Bella had suggested we go shopping. As ungirly as I was, I adored shopping. So we spent our hearts out, possibly got a little imaginarily tipsy over random people, drank frappe's and ate large pretzels, and after all this; ran along the beach like maniacs. I guess the image of Bella had changed in a few days time. I actually saw her as a…friend. My only friend; therefore, best.

That made me nervous. Putting so much trust and faith in one person had always been hard for me. I didn't trust anyone. All I saw was the bad. And that was all I let out. I just cut away the pain and sorrow I shouldn't have had.

I still couldn't see how Bella could be so devoted and _in love _with Will. How could you put someone else [and what's worse; an unworthy boy] first instead of yourself? Not that I didn't like Will. He was extremely nice and charming. But something always felt off when I looked at them together.

A vibrate of my phone knocked me out of deep thoughts and focused myself on an unconscious Bella.

**ZANE: Hey, cutie. =] You look flustered. Need some help?**

I stiffened. I stared around the yard to see a very attractive Zane Bennett across the yards of grass waving his phone at me with a silly smile. I was shocked he even knew what flustered meant. I bit my lip. Wasn't he into Cleo now?

I sighed and ignored him. I returned my gaze to still-sleeping Bella. I spit on her in plain sight of Zane. Not that I cared.

I could hear a laugh off in the distance.

**Let me give you a ride to Mako. I can't imagine Emma NOT inviting you? [works of sarcasm]. Let's anger her hot-head and make a scene. =] We'll bring Bella if you wish.**

I stared at Bella's lump on the trampoline. My mind fizzed with hate for Zane and his perverted taste. I wondered how he could act one way one second and than another; completely different.

As much as my heart galloped and my mind puked the idea up. A rational [or so, I thought] part of me could only say: Why not? We were off.

. . .

Zane was driving Bella and I to the party. We still had had an hour or so in which he insisted he drive me around on his dirt bike while Bella was still in her strange rest in his boat. I didn't say a word as we went pass familiar faces; but I was alarmed at how comfortable I felt. I usually was spinning at the thought of him.

Finally; it was near night and we trailed off into the ocean. But he stopped the boat when we were just a few hundred swims away. I stared at him in curiosity.

"Look, Rikki; there's something I need to tell you." I nodded. The way I saw it: Quiet=Mysterious. You can't get heartbroken if you're mysterious.

"The…Okay…" He was having a hard time with this. "I know you hate me because you think I'm a perverted twit but…I wasn't trying to embarrass you-"

My cheeks turned into tomatoes. "You didn't embarrass me, Zane. I was angry. And I still am. You think you can just waltz around seeing girls naked like they're all gonna bow down at your supposed superiority?" My temper was highing up.

"What? No. Rikki, I was trying to stop Nate. He's my best mate but he's off his rocker." I stared at him, waiting for him to explain what Nate Ew had to do with anything.

"He's been stalking you like crazy. Following you everywhere. If you need an ego-boost; most guys think you're hot." Why the hell was I smiling? Curse that smile! "And he was telling all the guys about…taping you. He…. Rikki, all our mates have….seen you. Naked."

I felt my omelet coming back up. "What?" My eyes were in terror. My mind was a war of sickness.

"I tried to stop him. And I did." He looked at the dark sea. "Because I kind of like you, Rikki. But I hated that you hated me so much."

"Is that the only reason you gave me a ride? You've been talking to me? Because you pity me?" I said pity with such disgust. "I don't need to be pitied, thank you very much." My eyes felt wet. I was embarrassed; he was right. I hadn't exactly minded the thought of Zane seeing me vulnerable…and liking it. But now I knew a hundred other assholes had seen me naked; and still Zane of all people, was the good guy; nothing felt right.

"Take me to Mako!" I screamed at him. My eyes were sparkled in tears. My cheeks were consisting of flames. And all I wanted to do was go home. But I knew that all my hopes and dreams were all just a little too late. We were going to Mako. And we were going to party.

. . .

Bella had awoken. And she was angry.

. . .

The sky above us was beautifying to a pinkish tint of sunset. I lie down on the sand upon the purple striped towel staring at the sea's waves. I had stormed off Zane's boat in a hissy fit; pulling Bella along with me; still peacefully asleep.

But now she was pacing desperately in a manic attempt; screaming about how she couldn't be out tonight or she'd go crazy. I wasn't listening. I could see the outline of a Full Moon off in the distance of the sky.

"Rikki! Who the fuck kidnaps someone and takes them to a weird island with a bunch of other people they don't know? Don't you think that sounds just a little insane?"

I was in awe. This was Bella's first breakdown in the course of our friendship. I liked the fact she had cussed at me. Score for her.

She kept staring up at the sky and then into the jungle that was thick and enriching Mako. She was nervous; it was funny. She went on and on; her screeching. But I chose to casually sip my lemonade that tasted a tad too bitter to be without alcohol as I died deep in wraths of my nudity being scorched across the Gold Coast.

"You can at least get someone to take me back home!" She shouted.

I looked at her in confusion. "It's a party." I shrugged. My soul wasn't in a place to deal with Bella's odd distastes; although very interested.

"I'm aware of that. I got invited!" I looked at her in shock. Emma Gilbert, Queen of Disliking For Bella invited the very own Miss Hartley to this rather strange party on Mako Island?

"Oh." I looked down and sighed.

"Rikki, can you at least give me your phone so I can text Will for him to come pick me up." This night was getting worse and worse.

"No, can do. Will won't be back till tomorrow, or something odd like that. Your Housekeeper or someone said." I smiled pleasantly hiding the torture my head was enduring at the thoughts of disgusting comments guys must have thrown at me.

"What?" Bella's eyes went misty as she studied the situation she was in.

I sensed she was about to break down and cry. I stopped her before she could. "Bells, don't cry. I thought you'd want to come to a party with me…or maybe I thought I would. But…I haven't had many friends. And you were asleep like a dead ant and….and I'm really freaking out right now. I…Everything is in a mess!" Tears clung to my eyes and I found myself willing to tell her all my deepest darkest secrets. My parents oddity, my loneliness, my approximant porn exploit, and the dark scars on my legs that resembled my hidden pain.

And for a moment; she looked as if she truly wanted to know. Then her face went morbid and she whispered, as she stared deep into the sea: "I know, Rikki, I know."

The Moon darkened it's outline shining high above us; glowering. I had not known exactly what that had meant all my life. But Bella had. Tonight I would find out.

. . .

Things got better after that. I gave Bella my phone which she used to text Will but promised to stay at the party; as long as Will was there. I hadn't told her my darkest lies but I felt a connection with her; as strong as electrify; as frightening as night. But I trusted her in an uncanny way I couldn't explain. Perhaps, she did the same to me.

I had fallen into sleep upon the basking sun's rays and on the sizzling sandy ground. I don't remember the last conversation I had with her. We had laughed, giggled, and gossiped all throughout the afternoon. But I had took notice of her distant stare upon the ocean's reckless wild waves and the worrying line that took hold of her soul.

The next time I opened my eyes; She would be gone.

. . .

It was dark as night. And the only thing I could manage to make out was the raucous jungle trees, and the Full Moon hovering right over Mako's peak. I was alone on the sand. The water was coming at my heels and I quickly ran up the hill near Mako's jungles.

That's when I realized Bella was gone. There were only three humans in sight. But they weren't right. Their legs were all dark; blurred together in some type of shape. An odd feeling washed over me. But when they saw my glow; a pale skinny girl in shorts with water-proof short leggings to cover the cuts, and a bikini top, as well as blue eyes cursed with a sad light to them; they backed away and mumbled in oddity.

They hadn't seen my pictures from Nate Ass-hat, had they?

It was something else. They whispered to each other.

"Don't hurt us." One girl begged.

I looked around. What made them think I would hurt them as long as they didn't fuck with me? I sighed. They thought I was weird.

"Yeah; we didn't do anything." A dude said slowly; as if anything could set me off.

I rolled my eyes at him. I wasn't in the mood for their drugged attitudes. "Have any of you seen Bella?"

They're faces turned gray. A shriek escaped the three teens. The girl stared up at me, "She wasn't human. She was like…some type of demon. We…" Suddenly the moon was shining above us. The people's scars surrounding their eyes were suddenly visible. And the pupil had turned solidly black. I felt evil come to the setting. I didn't trust these people.

"Don't be afraid. We didn't do anything. Bella; your friend, she's a creature. She had powers….she chanted things at us, and then we were unable to walk. Our legs; they're paralyzed." I shivered. It was true. They're legs had turned an awful orange color and their eyes black. But could this be the works of Bella? No. This had to be some freakish drug game.

They wiggled and groaned in fear. Instead of urging help; I walked a way; out into the Jungle, in search of the strange first best friend I had ever had. One was had been described as a demon.

. . .

I was running on the rocky ground. Scared frivolously. I had this cold-breathing anger and fear rushing through my veins. I had to keep running. I was crying. I kept hearing odd little screams off in the distance. Someone was getting hurt. But I kept running.

The jungle was a freak of the island; at least, so I thought. I had now planted my moving feet onto the slippery rocks beheading a dangerous looking creek. I could still hear crackling and irks of voices.

Then I heard sobbing. Not your typical heartbroken girl sobbing, but boy wheezing; in fear and cold. On the rocks; head into his arms, was Lewis McCartney. The geek from school. Why did my heart pang when I saw his tears?

"Rikki?" He stared at me with loathing. He wasn't in the mood for my sarcasm or my wit. And I wasn't in the mood to give it to him. We both sat on the cold wet rocks. Scared.

We didn't say a thing. We were in awe of the silence of a magical island.

. . .

I picked up a sharp rock. I tore the blade across my wrist; revelation cursed the thrill of pain. Lewis gasped; I didn't care. Nothing was right on this island, so why should I act normal? I wanted to be crazy; just like that eerie moon above us.

I had hit breaking point. I no longer cared if people saw my scars. They were what was real. Not the fake witty smile I put on. The truth was only important. The strange magical truth. The strange magical truth was that my heart was beating: Bella is a creature, monster. And I'm stuck on an island that inhibited the rarest magic of all.

"Why do you do it?" Lewis asked. I was surprised his voice wasn't in urgency or disgust; but in calm curiousness. He looked at my wrist.

"Because…no one cares, Lewis. No one cares." I stared down at the rushing water. "But you know how that feels, don't you? I'm just…wrong. I never am what I'm supposed to be. That's why no one likes me. Everyone hates me." I closed my eyes. My mind was pounding from this breakdown. I wanted to fall asleep; to be in complete nothingness. I wanted to be…inexistent.

My broken eyes glanced at Lewis. He was deep in intriguement like I was some sort of science specimen. Then his eyes hit his hurt. He touched my hand. I shuddered but held tightly.

"Everyone feels this way. I do. Not many people fall head over heels for a science geek. You know... There's many people at this party who are having much worse times than you. And not everyone hates you." He smiled a sheepish grin.

"Maybe not. But not for the right reasons. They like me because I'm rich or hot…not because, I'm me. No one cares about the real me. You have it better. If people care; they really care. Because you don't live in an image. You're you. But I'm not me. I'm not supposed to be me. I…"

"am scared of what you'll become."

I looked at Lewis again. He had matured and gotten so much cuter over the year. When I first met him; he was complete with long blonde hair and his old fishers clothes. Now; his hair was trimmed; his eyes were passionately hazel; and he rocked his fisher clothes in a more modern sense.

And he cared. He cared more than anyone about the little things. And he cared about me. He cared about everything and everyone. He knew everyone had a place in this story.

. . .

We trailed along Mako's jungle's trees for a bit. A stroll. Walking back and forth to the rocks and back. His hand was comforting as it fit into mine. My eyes were searching for Bella; but they always seemed to find his intense eyes.

I felt abandoned in an unusual sense. Like Lewis and I were trapped on a deserted island; the last two people on the Earth. I left the images of the blurred orange legs behind, as well as the deep cuts Lewis had now covered with the jungle's leaves.

I stared at him. His eyes questioned me. "Lewis, your not what I expected."

"I could say that about you too, Rikki." His grin shone at me.

"So, in the science world…opposite's attract, don't they?" I bit my lip waiting for his response.

He smiled. "More than you know it, in every world.

"Lewis…I think…I think I like you."

His face was expressionless. The island seemed to flicker in darkness. I never got to see what Lewis's reaction was. Lightning flickered and bolted upon us. Lewis lied there; unconscious and lifeless. Fear flooded through me.

The next moments were a blur. Cleo came to me shrieking with tears; even more so, when she saw Lewis's form. We traveled down the rocks and were met face to face with the ultimate battle. Two creatures pinning against each other for one ultimate power. The two red-eyed ones had used to be two girls; Bella and Emma, that Cleo and I knew. But now they were gone. In the place of them were two crazed creatures. They pulled to each other in a matter of force and shared a face-suck, otherwise known as a kiss. The Full Moon flared up across the sky as the water exploded.

My last thought before I went into bitter nothingness of blurry movement; Nothing would ever be the same again.

**A/N: Sorry, if that was a bit confusing at the end. It was meant to be. Next chapters are Bella and Emma; which will lead up to the fight that night, and what exactly happened. Things are very supernatural [very unnatural] in this fic. And there is obviously a lot of magic. Complications arising even more soon. Review me, mates. [WOAH: That was weird. No Australian accents for me…that also sounded very…strange]. x]**


	7. A Pill Of Magical Heartbreak

**Four Little Miss Nothings**

**Copyright WillowSuzzaGleeee **

**A/N: Wow, whippee-doo! Here it is. The lucky seventh chapter. Well; actually: this chapter is quite unlucky for those who it concerns. But that makes it just as interesting, doesn't it? Well, read your butts off, just make sure you have enough heart to give me a review.**

**Bella's POV:**

_I couldn't think throughout it all. I couldn't feel. But that was what the Moon did to me. No sensations whipped fluidly into me as I took Emma's face; her dark pink salty lips, and thrust my tongue, my own lips upon hers. We stared at each other in a moment of pure ecstasy and inspiring excitement as we tore ourselves away from each other. Electricity was pulling us to each other; a force in gravity; they all longed for me to be the closest of close within her. My thoughts were scandalous for a pure moment. But, before I could even force myself to behave in any action of lust; the hate and anger was back._

_ She was threatening me. Emma Gilbert could take all I cared about away from me. My mermaidness, my true twisted love, Will, and a sisterhood of magic…that could be. I had been struck with a deep burrowing anger invested as I watched her newly reddened eyes direct her body into the Moon Pool's light, and as Will watched with eyes of the enchanted. The Moon would be ahead soon._

_ And, my own red eyes screamed in vision of her. I remembered the whispered words of the old one. Trust had stemmed so easily as a matter of glance through her eyes. Her soul called to me. Her soul called to end the battle of the Gilbert and Hartley line. The Old Ones who had be in wrath of the Moon's secret for years. And now, I felt her hands slam into my back forcing me to the tortures of the ground. I heard her inhuman hiss, and I wondered if she was already like me. The thought plowed fear._

_ Will wasn't there. I didn't even fear for our love. I didn't care._

_ I picked myself off the ground to be eye-to-eye with Rikki. Her blue eyes were in complete terror in face of Emma's and I's magic against each other. The beautiful brunette, Cleo, stared wide-eyed as well. The world went spinning as I felt the legend bringing us together on this night. Cleo, Rikki, and…Emma? No._

_ I smuggled the twig and I fisted it tightly and I daggered it within her screams, into her face, and I heard her bitter ear-splitting scream. Then the magic of Moons, and other alliances brought each chosen one to our fate on that Full Moon Night. But, somehow, I would loose._

_ I remembered how this all started. A wickedly lovely day._

_. . ._

Will and I cackled our humongous laughs as our feet dived their pounces onto the large and lovely circle that portrayed our trampoline. We were dancing in an odd-off way that only people who truly accepted each other could live with the strange and bluntly bad skills of dance.

But we were happy. And in love. The only two things that mattered.

The haunting thought rolled at the back of my mind, and I knew it taunted him as well. Tonight was yet another reckless Full Moon, sure to drive my mermaid cells to the bare insanity. And Will to worry of a massive degree.

As our jumping slowed to our rhythmic hearts, and our bodies faltered; I lie down onto the trampoline investing myself in odd sorcery of a blue sky aligned with pale clouds swaying east. Will lie by me.

Before either of us could get a word of a thought, feeling, or irk. A female voice called out "Will! Bella! I have some very important information!" My heart thudded. This was one of the occasional times where Will's mother, Cecilia had news on the workings of The Mermaid Project. But, mainly, it was how to turn Bella back to a Human so she can marry Will in peaceful fantasies of a happily ever after.

Will took my hand and we scrambled to the Mistress of the House's feet. I smiled the smile I forced when I saw Will's Mum, but truthfully her presence caused me quite a shiver. The way she stood with such pride, and strength…I wondered if I would ever be able to hold up the Benjamin name. A slither of excitement shivered up my spine as I took a look at that silly yet legendary purple ring won on Will and I's first date.

"We have some news about this Full Moon tonight." Will's Mum gives me a sad smile and continues on "It is certain that the only magical entity having force by the Moon near enough to cause harm is Mako Island. Now, we are very sure of keeping Bella as far away as possible…but it appears, one of our society members has a better plan…but quite dangerous." She eyes me warily. I glance at Will's perfect eyes and understand that I will do whatever it takes to get through the process of returning human. I had no idea I might actually love the magic of the Moon, if given the right companions.

"What is it?" Will asked in cautious worry. I could never explain to you the connection of magical sparks that happened upon the first second we met pupils. Love at first sight, but a complicated one.

"Well, firstly; this plan causes for you to be no where near Bella on the eve of the entire night. It would…interrupt the…plan." A blur of fear balanced my mind, soul, and heart but I willed it to go away. Whatever it took…

"What is it?" I asked with urgency. It was already late morning.

"…Bella, sweetie…this option, is most probable, but…it involves a pill… And obviously, it has never been tested on any other mer-creatures. It…it will put you asleep throughout the entire time where the Moon shines….and, and our society member assures it will affect when you transform into a mermaid. This will only take place in the time of subject of Mako Island, and loved ones, while you're wet." Her breath is heavy in hope I'll accept it. I know she wants so much for me to be the normal girl her son can marry. For a moment, it stings that she detests my mermaid identity so much. Then the remembrance, I asked for this.

"I'll….do it." My eyes go wicked of the thought of being without Will on the most wild of nights. But I know, this is one step closer than being rid of the entity I have wished all my life to be free off.

. . .

There were the simple facts pining my mind. The pill made it certain I would not be drawn by the Moon's force. It also made certain by the next day, I would no longer crumble to the tails of a mermaid the moments after touching simple water. I would be in affect of water with the help of surroundings of magic, or a magical loved one. One known as Will. Will, the love of my life could not be near me on this intensified Full Moon. Will disliked the idea. I…forced myself to realize it's purpose and need. I wondered of the darkness that would take forth as my eyes would settle into nothingness; the power of sleep blown to a maximum. Complete numb nothingness.

I took the pill with a gulp. Will held my hand and promised he'd be there the second I woke up. The thundering revelation of the unknown exact content of what lied in the white musty peculiar-looking sect, enthralled me. We have said of I-Love-You's in fear of the two-percent chance danger awaits me. We have kissed. We have done all to ensure each other of our love. And then the pill carried along my mouth, slide off my tongue, and down my throat. And I closed my eyes swiftly.

. . .

That is what awoke me on Mako Island. The presence of the magical Moon's alliance. My eyes fluttered at the stir of the boat. I was present, but I could not will the strength to scream my heart out. How Rikki had messed it all up. And the wonder of how Will's mum had allowed Rikki to do this. She hadn't been there. She had said even that could possibly awaken me. If not her, than whom?

It wasn't until I had started listening to the conversation between Rikki and Zane, I was glad I had been forced to keep quiet. The slithers of some of Rikki's issues that are hidden so carefully by the mystery of her eyes, the thin curl of her smile. And my heart panged there was more. Much more to her restless eyes.

That's the only reason I could hold little sanity on myself to not blow up at her face. I knew…maybe, Rikki's issues weren't magical twisted odd issues, but they were dark. The entire jerk-ass population of the Gold Coast had seen her in such degrading photographs. Hatred grasped at me for anger at the unknown immature guy named Nate.

It wasn't until I felt Zane's warm arms sweep me up and lie me gently onto the sand; my eyes flickered open to Rikki's scorned face as she stared up upon the mystery of the island. I knew. Right then and there. This night would be fatal, dangerous, and messed up. But I knew, screaming at Rikki would do nothing but make everything a little more chaotic. A little more sad.

I never let her see as a tear rolled down my face as I dialed Will's number into the phone safely veiled in my pocket. I never let her hear the silent sobs let out as I heard his voicemail: "Hey! This is Will! Please leave a message…and if Bella is listening…I love you."

Only a particle of a smile granted my lips. The only thing I could do was leave a message and will that Will would hear it.

"Hey! Will!" I never noticed how this made me sob more than cry. "Um, it's me. Bella." I fumbled over ignorance. "I…Please don't…Don't freak out when you hear I'm awake. And don't get angry, at Rikki. She took me to Mako…to that party. The party that…_Emma _invited me to…I'm so sorry…I don't know why I'm apologizing….but Will….Can you please, please, please, pick me up?" The tears corrupted. My voice died as I saw Rikki's eyes glance a pace near me. "I don't know where you are…But I know…I can feel that something terrible is about to go down. And I need you." I hung up.

It took too many moments to face Rikki again and pretend everything was okay.

. . .

For some time there, Rikki and I's careless conversations gave me hope that I would not be influenced by the Moon. And that perhaps, tonight could be a flawless fun evening. But the Full Moon, Mako, and the party invitation by the name of Emma…I knew nothing would be perfect for too long.

I saw it in the way Emma's blue eyes zigzagged back and forth at me. She hated me. And my heart wreaked that she could be announced evil. From that first second, my heart quickened knowing to keep guards and hidden information from her. It was an attraction, in an odd demented way. So much of me willed to go up to her and slap Emma, and scream at her, pondering why she stared at me like that. Her eyes read that she was thinking the same thing.

It made sense that my mouth shot out what my feet couldn't.

"So, what the fuck is with Emma? Who has a strange party on some weird deserted island and invites people she's hardly had two conversations with in her life?" My eyes intensified at Rikki's lazy smile.

Rikki shrugged and giggled. "Boredom? I'm just angry I didn't think of it first….Than again, no one would come to a party of mine." Her eyes saddened.

"That's totally not true!" I scoffed. "I would! And…Rikki, tons of people like you." She looked at me in amusing disbelief. "Trust me! They have the disease of green! Jealousy." I interpreted with a smile.

It was then that my phone beeped it's sacred "It's time for the texting-game! The texting game! It's time for the texting-game! Who might be someone you love!" I blushed at Rikki's arched eyebrows.

"Hello?" I then remembered all the shit I felt coming on tonight.

"Bella! Thank god! Are you alright? You're not hurt? I can not believe Rikki just took you out to Mako like that!" His voice was a flush of panic and worry.

"It's….It's not her fault. Well, even if it is, I don't want you to get angry at her…" I knew I wouldn't be able to explain why Rikki and I shared that odd connection of understanding. Well I shared it. She brought a curious glow that might just spark the start of letting someone other than Will in. A friendship. One I knew we both needed.

"But…why? Why would Rikki do this?" Will's voice was extreme. "And you never answered me. You are okay, aren't you?"

"Yeah." I chose to ignore his question. "I'm fine. Where are you? I need you here now! I'm at Mako…and Emma's here." I don't know why I said it. I just did. It came sputtering out of my mouth, as if it contained some important information.

"I'm coming, Bells. I'll get there as fast as I can. I'm sorry." He added as a side-comment in a far-off land.

"Sorry for what?" My voice cracked.

"I knew something was going to go wrong. I could sense it. I don't know why I ever let you take that damned pill." My face burned. Rikki's blue eyes mirrored concern.

"Let me? Will…this was my choice. It's my fault I got myself into this and it's my secret…" I glanced at Rikki's intrigued features.

I heard Will snort. "Yeah, but Bells, I have been the one to help you through all of this…Don't I deserve some credit of taking care of you?"

My mind fizzled. I didn't understand the uncurling anger flowing through my veins; demanding that this my secret, my magical amazing yet destructive secret. And that Will shouldn't place his owning of it.

I didn't feel like fight. Exasperation came from the spit of my mouth. "Yes, I suppose. Will…Just get here soon. Please?"

My mind plastered the fight on the outsides of my mind. And I prayed, and prayed, with the delicate sense of faith I had in the world, that would hold me together in a calm, sensible way, until Will rescued me from this fate.

I hung up. My voice then turned hearse. And Rikki turned stoic of worry. And I watched Rikki turn numb into the slumbers of sleep. But not me, I was too afraid. Of The Moon, and it's Magical Wrath.

And, finally, I don't know which, the Moon's call, or The Old One's themselves called to me. And I was awakened.

. . .

The world around me, itself, was a fantasy. This was the first time I had ever the opportunity to be apart of the Moon's cling to me in a place so magical. This was my natural time, as a mermaid. This was the feeling of belonging. Mako and the Moon recognized me as the ancestor of Ireland's moon pool. This world, the magical enchanting exhilarating world, belonged to me. Mako whispered it's plans. I smiled with excitement. The prophecy of the sea's creatures was starting tonight.

My legs spiraled Mako's grounds, and I passed sand, water, and stone, with ferocious glee. Then I saw the mortals. The poor ignorant pathetic mortals. I didn't once think of Will, and how he was supposed to be here. Now.

I smiled slyly at the threesome. I had a distinct feeling I had walked upon the wanting of a porno. They stared at me with loathing looks. I giggled.

"Well, look at the terrified mortals!" I shouted to no one in particular. I was laughing like an animal in cannibal's glee. "I really do pity you." I bit my lip in awe.

They eyebrows were still high and their eyes were still rolling. My mind peaked a "Perhaps, I should teach them a lesson for messing with a mermaid." All thoughts of diminishing my mere-powers were gone. I wanted to stay like this forever. My home in Mako…with Rikki, …and Cleo. They would come soon enough. But I ought to get rid of the mortals first.

"You know…I could make all of your blood jelly with the twist of my hand." Their faces read the belief they thought I was drunk, or drugged. Well, pity them.

"Would you like that?" I slinked over to the boy with dark hair. I played around with it. His mouth projected, but the Moon's whispering of dark secrets was louder. It burned him out. It chanted me to ruin the mortals before it was too late.

I stuck my swirling hand up. But then I felt Will's hands grip me, and the mere-creature inside was unleashed.

. . .

"Bella! Bella! Stop it! Stop!" His arms swooped around me as a prison. I stifled through them and slapped his face, causing an alarming amount of red.

Things went in slow motion after that. I screamed at him, long and hard. My hatred and anger of his disliking of my own unique mermaid beings struck me and I cried the passion out to him. His face remained in worry and panic. "GET AWAY! GET OUT! LEAVE IT ALL ALONE. THIS IS MY HOME, WILL. Or at least the closest one I'll ever have." Tears whipped away. "And you don't belong here. So, GET OUT!"

But he wouldn't take that. "No, Bella, no. I know this is the Moon. You can't let it do this. Think rationally. Think about our love, and how-"

"LOVE? If you LOVE me, then let me be as I am. I am a mermaid, Will! You can't change that! I don't even fucking want to! Everything happens for a reason, and a prophecy needs to start tonight! So please…" Humanity caught up to me. "For just this night. On a Full Moon. Let me be. I have to do what I have to do tonight. Without you." I teased his shirt with hopeful eyes and a playful hand.

And I turned around to the mortals. Their voices were still crying out loud. But the force of the Moon and Mako together blocked them out. They weren't important. That was what magical entities were trying to tell me. They were nothings. They didn't matter.

I turned my hand with a twirl. And their legs. I smiled vibrantly. Their legs were blobs. The skin made way for the disgust of their inner humanity rotting of their bones. I heard their human cries. But I sensed Will coming up from behind me. "Bella! This isn't you!" I never listened. I just threw a punch and I ran off into the jungle; my home.

. . .

My legs sprinted in speed throughout the tangles and twists of twigs and snaggles throughout the jungle. It was because I knew Mako was on my side. And it was disliking of Will. But somehow, my panicked flee caused to me to stumble. But really, it was the Moon's will for me to stumble, and to be eye to eye with the Old Ones.

I peered slowly upon their presence. There were three of them. There were two old women, but I knew more than that. They weren't really women. But mermaids. They were wise and had much more knowledge than I ever wished to receive of Mako, the Moon, and of Merkind. And they knew me, recognized me, and welcomed me. The old woman with dark wispy hair; the remains of a dark exotic beauty, held her hand out of me.

I grabbed it with trust. The other old woman held the demeanor of a judging person, as if she wasn't sure I was right. A troubled frown proclaimed her lips of stylish lipstick that matched her purple boutique vintage dress. Her hair was a blonde color almost white, trailing in waves down her back.

And behind them, in teary eyes, of fear, was a timid and afraid girl of my age or so. She had long scoundrels of deep exotic red hair. Her amber eyes flashed hope at me. But she was Mortal. And the mermaids of Old were protecting her. She held a light of candles lighting up the trees path to what I knew, the moon pool.

The dark beauty mermaid, whispered to me in the same enchanting voice the Moon quivered. "Come here, little one." I threw myself into her arms.

The blonde mermaid shuddered and said in a hurried voice, "Gracie! Come on! We don't have much time! The Moon is coming fast and Isabella's mortal is sprinting after her." I stared at them in hurt. Will wasn't just a mortal- but the Moon directed me elsewhere. I was incapable of my own thoughts. I never cared to watch in agony as the Blonde One's hand whipped in a lightning force at Will, until he settled as a lump on the ground.

That's why I didn't say nor do anything as the dark beautiful mermaid whispered me the secrets of how the Hartley's and the Gilberts were made to hate each other. And how we were to battle for leadership of the sisterhood of Mer. And how now, I had to lead the Prophecy.

. . .

I galloped on trek through the jungle leading to the most magical mysterious aura of all. The Moon Pool. And as my soul sprinted with the dark magic of the Old Mermaids, the tiny part of me sensed her being there. Emma and I would duel tonight.

I heard fleeing footsteps behind me; not ones of the Moon's presence, but of a screeching human; terrified and afraid and hopeless for help. If I had turned to meet her eyes, if I had cared, I would have seen the dark red head sprinting from the Old Ones, then the powers of Wind heeling her back to her hell; misery and fear.

But, she wasn't the important one.

I had seen Emma's plastered frightened face as she traveled upon the rocks over the river. She appeared to be searching in frenzy for someone or something. But her same delicate evocative eyes chanted me on. And I scorched my soul, my hatred, my fears, my abilities at her. And we met upon the rocks; dueling each other with anger, and an unleashed force that was too keen on humanity.

Emma had changed. I could see that. Something had happened. It had made her different. The racing, thudding with dark lure, suggested; she had a new alliance with the Moon, herself, now. She had already been enchanted the magic of the Moon Pool's aura. And her eyes never failed to challenge me.

I never even suppose we said a word to each other. Just the grunts and hisses that came along with our brawl of hate. Cleo and Rikki had appeared there, just as I knew they would. They were drawn. We all shared a connection of some sort. I had just been the birth of the prophecy. And nothing would be the same in any of our lives ever again. As we dueled each other for what I titled the Game of Magic, and the Mer; I knew with certainty, it was no coincide that Emma and I had this ferocious hatred of each other. It was kept in the deepest darkest unraveled parts of our souls. It was apart of our bloodline; one chosen by the Moon; so that we would forever be in the despair that comes with the knowledge Emma and I will never admit to defeat. And that meant very bad things.

**A/N: Confusing? Although, I'm aware of all the shit happening in my head; it was a tad confusing to read it put in such a complicated mess on Mako. So…this chapter was actually extremely hard to write, and I'm not sure if I like the final outcome. Magic is challenging to master; it's craft, it's curse, and by all means; it's writing. I sincerely hope you enjoyed, possibly even loved this. My mind is in a fog of ideas. This story by no means ends at the Party. Everything's just getting started. So I expect you to review about this.**


	8. Deepest Darkest Fears Come True

**Life As Magic Knew It**

**Copyright WillowSuzzaGleeee **

**A/N: Wow…The last chapter until a setting change; another huge one. I feel as if I have stages in this story. We're on Stage 2. Aha, anyways, I see your eyes wandering to the story in a frenzy of loving passion for reading this story; so go ahead. Read. And Review your heart out. It's funner than you think. [as long as funner remains as a non-word rejected by the dictionary]…**

**Emma's POV:**

I watched them. I observed the frantic masses that swooped upon my party. I didn't let a tear slip down my cheeks as my thoughts went more and more frantic; dislocating some saneness and pondering the insanity of when I would next see my dad.

The reckless ignorant obnoxious teenagers I had so voluntarily invited sauntered the island. It was such an odd island. Why would a kidnapper of any kind want to throw it's twisted wretched plans all on the course of how a party on a mysterious isolated island went? I had an answer, a very demented one.

That was what scared me most. As I watched the rest of the teenage population have their dispute of balls and laughter, and _drugs _even [Since when did Emma Gilbert allow drugs at her party?], a numbing thought of dark thrill wondered why the captor of my dad wouldn't ask for money, a business deal, something that made sense... But for a party? What if there was more to the story? What if they placed me in a scavenger hunt of swirling disasters all to find my father in a harmed state?

No. That wouldn't happen. I willed my mind. You are going to finish having this party. And then you will be reunited with her dad; and life will return to it's functions of normal. That's how it always is. Just a tiny obstacle, and you're back to first place... But my heart knew this wasn't a race. And if it was, I was surely losing.

And as all these thoughts cluttered together, haunting me, I returned to my observations of the party. Every slight soul, I questioned. Could they have the inhumanity to kidnap my dad? Had they hurt him?

Presences flashed by. Cleo got pulled back into her wicked world of popularity, and a disheveled Rikki came with an intriguing Zane. My cheeks flushed red. My eyes pounced the darkest of blues. And my lips mounted a sour purse. There, her eyes lighted by the sun's adornment, tan cheeks shining from her serene apprehensiveness, walked Bella Hartley. She crept in an odd demeanor. Anxiety built around her face. Just as anxiety burned the ridges of my soul.

I should have known that night, one of a blackmailed party, one of a Full Moon, one of destiny, was going to be utterly wickedly cursed into a dark fate.

. . .

_"You will regret your being." Whispers chanted. Moons, pools, and creatures hovered the dark of unconsciousness. Cackles of sinister erupted my mind. A group of girls spiraled around in a circle giggling in evil-sounding glee. They weren't normal. Their eerie smiles twisted darkness. They couldn't be human. There I sat; I was surrounded by their fire. And then the faces started to develop. A dirty blond swirl. A dark beauty. Tangles of blond flashes. And a deep spinning of pure red. And I saw those green eyes twirl inhumanity; wicked magical lure. It was the terrifying Bella Hartley. And her strange beauty seemed to forever haunt me._

"Emma? Emma? Emma?" My eyes flickered open. Panic flooded me. What had I just witnessed? My thoughts diminished as I took in my surroundings as well as the eyes that peered into mine. Ash, the jerk from the Juice Bar, was now grinning at me. We sat around a circle of twigs invested to flames. Ash was smiling as he roasted hot dogs in an enchanting aura of grilling smell. Marshmallow packets lied just a foot away on Mako's jungle's grounds.

"Ash!" My voice was a sickened scowl of shock. "Wha...What are you doing! Where am I? What happened!" Where was my dad? Was it still the party night? Were we stranded on the island together?

"I heard about your party and decided to crash it." His smile aggravated me in the most insane way. He saw my frustrations lashing in silence and announced; "Kidding. You invited me, remember?" His eyes danced as recognition swooped through me. He was one of the names listed as a must for the party...but why? Did he know where my dad was? Who was I kidding? He hardly knew me. He was just one of the souls the physos requested be put in this hell-hole of a party. Kidnappers and destroyers of family were known to be people who were close...weren't they? That's what my mystery-novel-and-movies knowledge told me. But I didn't know everyone my dad associated with. What did he or I do that caused such disaster? Such sinister torturing of my soul?

My eyes flushed as Ash reached into his short pocket and pulled out my finely printed invitation addressing his presence. He grinned in his boyish enjoyment of pure simplicity. He had no cares in the world. Obviously, excluding his need to fluster me. Did he...like me?

"So, what gave you the idea for this totally odd but wicked scene for a party?" I searched the scenery of the island's inner forestry that surrounded us. I looked again at the fire Ash was controlling. He handed me over a delish of smores. I gulped. _Relax, Emma. Pretend everything's okay. Pretend nothing bad has ever happened to you. And that nothing bad will happen._

I tried at a smile. But then I remembered his question. "Oh...Um, I guess I'm quirky like that." I lied. I wasn't.

"Cool. I like an unique girl." How was it, that in the middle of a living disaster, a worthless boy named Ash, could cause me to blush, hideously?

"Really? I like dull stable good boys who will be bore me to bits." I added with a mumble, sarcasm lingering an attempt. He laughed. Why did he suppose everything that could be seen as a tad [or a tad more] mean was just a big joke? Gah, he annoyed me. Irritation stung.

I stuffed the smores into my face, forgetting all the "ladylike" qualities a Gilbert daughter should be brought with. Why care? I didn't need to impress Ash. And even if I did; I had bigger fish to fry.

He was only halfway through his. "Wow. An appetite."

I nodded, eyes rolling. "What made you think you could pick up a sleeping calm girl and bring her in the jungle full of monsters?"

"Ha! You know, I love your sense of humor."

I would have responded with a flick of witty banter that I suddenly newly developed in the middle of my own hysteria, but I decided to get down to business. "I asked a question."

"Right. Well I guessed that the tide would catch up with you soon enough. And I hate to see a pretty girl washed up." I rolled my eyes.

"I'm not just a pretty girl. And I never get washed up." I replied slyly. Ash went silent for a bit. "Not now, anyway."

My eyes went to the forest floor. "Tell me about yourself." It came out of my mouth. But the voice, it was distant. I almost didn't recognize it. It was fulfilled with sly sensual tension. It implied I was severely interested in his being. Maybe I was. What caused the sudden change of heart? Wanting something else, as frivolous as a cute boy was, to focus the night on.

"Well, I like to-"

"Not that." My eyes slithered through his brains; mentally, of course. My fingers saluted up his arms and to his jawbone. I smeared his lips. Then shivered. What was I doing? I staggered my finger away from his pensive mouth. My voice was still a perfect mixture of sweet and sexy. "Tell me your deepest darkest secret."

"And the multiple personalities go on." My trained ears heard Ash mumble. Then he took in all of me. He studied my face, the beauty of my pale skin tanned perfectly. He studied my clothes. A loose swim dress made appropriate by the bikini bottom of patterns under the frilly blue dress. There would be no more swim training.

Finally, after a piercing of a soul into my eyes; Ash answered.

"My deepest darkest secret is...my fear."

I raised my eyebrows. "What's your fear?"

"That the monsters of magic will take me away from life and into death...before...before I do all I need to do..." A blush appeared on his face, but he was dead serious.

I couldn't speak. I wasn't used to such an odd eerie Ash. His eyes were zooming in and out, as if he wasn't sure he should have told me this. His throaty voice cracked in attempt to speak, "And you? What are you afraid of?"

I took the flying moments of time to think this through. And I glanced at Ash's now so thoughtful likable face and I knew he wasn't the irritating boy from the Juice Bar anymore. He was a significant soul; one that was capable of...edging my beliefs, my emotions, and my heart. Why did one conversation pin me to tell him about my dad?

I opened my mouth to speak, but the words never came out. Instead, we were turned to a snap of thickening lightning; it hit upon the fire, and zigzagged to Ash's burrow of charming brown hair. I heard his screech, and he lied on the jungle ground; eyes closed, lips straight.

And the lightning wrote the path towards a terrifying fate. One I followed.

I never got to tell Ash my fear was of being trapped in a place of magical errors. Ah, the irony.

. . .

The lightning sizzled on the ground. It didn't fizz up and start a jungle fire. It didn't then strike me and leave me in eternal peace compared to what I would soon endure. It led fire patches on the ground, making way for walking space; allowing me to be led to the depths of despair. A cave. A moon pool. An entity of magic and horrendous acts.

I didn't stutter off, "Ello" like the dumb blonds do in horror movies awaiting their murders. The fear I was invested in was deeper, realer. It penetrated through all of my body. My mind guttered superstition of all the perplexes that could go hideous. My heart pounded it's wreaking of frightened pulses. And my body shivered. I had no idea what had happened or what was happening. I just knew to follow the lightning; follow the magic. No matter how much I would learn to detest it.

And there I stood; a being in the middle of magnificent magic. Every ounce of my body throbbed to leap into the magical lust of desire all swirling in that one moment under the moon; a transformation of metamorphosis that had dire effects. And so I did; with a magnifying thud the island's waters swallowed me. I closed my eyes and let the aroma sift in. I never knew how much this moment would count for the rest of my life; in my mind, of course. But my heart; my soul screamed it. Something terrifyingly wicked had just happened.

. . .

When I opened my eyes; my feet had led me out of the magical pool, through the odd ground of a volcano, up the hole, and to Bella's seizing eyes. I was drawn; a magical pulse radiated through me and lured me to her dark magical grace.

And there, we battled. In a way; maybe it wasn't us. Maybe it was the Moon's whispering of brainwash that caused us to damage each other and ourselves so wickedly. But maybe, it was the attraction of hate yet lust to show power of our own minds that did this. Either way, as my smile twitched into magical oddity as I watched her sink into the river that bedded Mako, the moon above, night calling…I knew we would wake up in another world. I just had no idea what was to come.

**A/N: Epicness? Or not? I'm absolutely tremendously sorry this chapter is a gazillionness too short; but I got my point across, agreed? I was on vacation, and I'm embarrassed this chapter is too short. I promise new chapters are going to be an epic-ton longer and better. Please review. :/ Next chapter is pretty amazing, imo.**


	9. The Screwed Up Vision Of The Past

**Life As Magic Knew It**

**Copyright WillowSuzzaGleeee **

**A/N: Why, hello all, and welcome back into the world of WillowSuzzaGleeee, and all the enthralling stories that surround this miniature world put into the fanfiction world! I sadly took a break; writer's block was shattering at me, as well as confusion… It was only a few days that I had planned as a writer's vacation. Those few days turned into a few months, and, well; here we are.**

**Cleo's POV:**

_The last visuals of imagery that flickered through my skull was ones of the beings of supernatural we would come to call the Old Ones. Rikki and I had found each other and we raced from the eerie awakening of the Island; we ran to find Emma and Bella. After the moment of terror as Bella flew across denying gravity into the shallow stream Lewis had once fallen upon, the moon held it's wrath, and the Old Ones stared with such smiles; we were put into an experience that would never be forgotten._

Perhaps, it'd be safe to say; I woke up. Because it had felt like that. My body felt worn, my eyes felt dim, and my mouth felt exasperated from all the cries of begging Emma and the one Rikki whispered was Bella to stop. I felt hung-over, maybe the drugs had worn into uncompelling half-unconsciousness.

But when my eyes arrived on the same mysterious island I had swore I blacked out on; I knew this had to nothing like a dream. Except it wasn't when I had blacked out. I knew for certain I was not awake; I was in another era of time.

The sun was shining but was dented by a beautiful sunset shaping the moment. Mako Island didn't seem so dark, so much like the place Zane and I had gulped down ecstasy, so much like the place he almost raped me. It was lighter and it gave a hoping glare of happiness, until I saw the souls running.

And then I felt a hold placed on my wrist; a feminine sigh. I shuddered in fright only to see it was…Emma. I opened my mouth but nothing came out. I didn't know what to say. The last time I had seen her she had scarred the Bella girl to bits and thrown her into the eerie stream and nevertheless kissed her.

I was speechless, but lucky for me she shh'd me anyway pointing to the legs that scrambled over the rock in which hid by. We listened to their screeches, and most specifically the rapid "She's coming! She's coming!" It was then I noticed the odd era.

There were three girls. They wore perfect clothes; couture downs cut short in three different colors; blue, yellow, and red. I remember liking the yellow one best. Their clothes were all so ideal if you lived in the fifties. The two boys that trailed along with them weren't too better in the expertise of fashion. Just plain Good Boy Aussie Fifties units adorned them.

The leader of the pack was a dark blonde in blue. Her eyes tried to scream control but I could see they were just begging for it. After her, scurried the other blonde; more dirty-blonde and a more witty look of exasperation. Next to her, hand in hand was a dark-eyed boy who still in the moments of hysteria held a tempting smirk, plummeted by his dangling cigarette. Behind them was the other two. Boy and Girl. The boy had caramel-colored hair and sweet nice eyes. The girl looking at him with fear for both their beings had a dark beauty sting to her. As Emma and I glanced back at each other, we knew they were being followed by something…or someone.

Did it ever touch me; they mirrored some images of the Old Ones we had seen just a few twisted messes ago?

And finally they swooped down the rocks, and into the stumbling hole that led them to underground…the volcano. But I'll never forget how before they hid, the dark exotic smile of the girl with beautiful blonde locks shined at me. My vision riveted as I believed she whispered, "Don't come near." But after that; Emma and I were left with nothing but the scary truth. What was happening?

. . .

"What…What day is it? What time…I…?" My desperate exasperation took over and as I had most times in Emma and I's rare childhood memories, I looked at her for all the answers. She had been the one who pushed Bella, into the moonlight-stream. Which seemed to trigger this whole hell-ridden weird twist of the night.

"Cleo…I don't know. For Heaven's sake, what makes you think I know everything that is going on? I…I don't know what's happened." Her eyes stared at the stream that seemingly just a few minutes ago, she had wrathed with Bella's magical stance, as well as a tremendous amount of bubbles covering Bella's body and filling with moonlight.

"With…that girl, Bella…? What did you do to her? I mean…I know what you did…but why? Why the hell was that party the weirdest thing I've ever experienced? Em…_Where are we?_" I whispered. The sunset was glowing. My question was perhaps out of context. I knew _where_ we were. Mako Island. Near the Moonlight Stream and also near the burrow that led to the most magical place of all. But my question was _when _are we?

"Cleo…To all of your unexplainable frightening questions…I…For the first time in my life…I have to say…I don't know." Emma never didn't know. If she didn't; we were toast. Mysteries spiraled the smell of smoke in the air. What happened or was happening at the Mako Party? Why had Emma and Bella been caught in an attack and a kiss? And why did we have absolutely no idea what was happening and all of these unanswered questions? Only one thing was for sure.

We were defiantly not at Emma's Mysterious Party on Mako Island, April 17th, 2011, . No, I had a feeling we were in a complete different bitter terrifying time era. One of messed-up-fallings that all would soon come to take part in our fates of that strange Mako-Party Night. Irony would be too easy of a word to describe it. Terrified Irony.

. . .

It was then another "Shh!" fleeted Emma's mouth. And it was then a siren of oddity sauntered out onto the rocks. She glowed her white-blonde hair with a supreme smile of supernatural glory. And she took notice of us, but different than the dark-haired-girl, she held a finger to her lips and nodded. She seemed to mumble the curse to herself, "Your times will come. The times when magic catches up to you."

Then she crept into the same holing burrow the Others had crept in. And my breath let out in obnoxious rant.

"What. The. HELL. What the HELL." For a moment I almost wanted to giggle a fit in the weird twisted way I sounded cussing; like a wannabe hardcore bitch. But I couldn't help it. For one second, I thought I saw Emma smile at my repetitive cursing.

Until we both got creeped out by the oddity we were witnessing as well as being thrown into a mystery of. What was really happening?

"Okay…from the fashion of the peculiar looking girls and from the irritatingly disgusting smell of smoke; I can guess we're in the fifties…early sixties…but…." My eyes pinched close at Emma's calming voice. She would fix everything.

"But…Cleo! You're…" Her eyes searched and her mouth stuttered. "You're real, aren't you…? This isn't just some bizarre wicked dream…is it?" She looked as if she wanted me to tell her it was all fake; a nightmare that would soon be over. But I was such a hideous liar.

"Not in my experience." I bit my lip. "But, I'm real…as real as you are… I…" A silenced passed between us like it had so many times.

"Em, what's the real reason you had this party for anyway?" There was accusation running my voice but Emma misread it for compassion and worry for her well-being.

"My…My dad is missing…I got these weird messages telling me I'd have to plan this party and invite certain people…or…or else he would die. And I couldn't call the police because the messenger said he would die… They…They had proof."

A gasp trickled out. You'd think there'd be some dramatic moment where we could basically hear the background music squirting from the Mako Island air but the silence was so uneasy it was as if it screeched "This is the most messed up entity I've ever encountered!" And it was.

"I'm sorry, Em." I looked down. There I had been, so selfish and starving for even more fakeness concluded as popularity, so eager to dig my newly developed claws into Zane, such a monster himself; and Emma had been silently falling apart. Maybe her hot-head had just lost control when Bella said something…not so very nice; but was that a good enough reason? Was there even room for a reason for scarring a girl across her forehead with a sharp twig then pushing her into a scary stream? And face-sucking her?

"So…when you were with Bella…you just snapped, right?" I didn't want to think Emma had gone evil with the tension of her planned party and set out to destroy a random girl. I wanted to believe Bella was some bitch that had ticked off Emma for the last time. Pity, I didn't know much about Emma and Bella and their relations were.

"I want to say, yes. I did. I want to say that she was being an annoying jealous bitch…but I don't remember…" Her eyes eloped in sadness. She really wanted to remember. She wanted to know that she wasn't crazy. "All I remember is finding this pool…and then seeing Bella…and she…or I…or both of us just went ape. I don't remember how it started…It just happened." Tears crisped at her eyes. And I wanted desperately to hug her and tell her I knew for a certain that the Emma I knew my entire life would never have a violenatic moment with a girl who could have been just an innocent stand-by.

But then again, could I have, two days ago, believed Zane Bennett the troubled but still ever so preppy bad boy of our goody town could have potentially raped me? The images, the frigid rapid moments were still to blurred so easily into my head…If things had gone a different way; would I be standing here right now?

I just nodded after that. I wanted to say a gazillion heart-felt things in such a strange unnatural situation with the random or not so random childhood friend of Emma? "Emma…How are we going to get out of here?"

Just as the moments twirled by as the words lisped from my mouth; the island seemed to jerk a little; or perhaps a lot. Emma and I grabbed on to each other trying not to shriek because we both felt that gutting sensation it would be punished. After a look to the sky; the sunset was gone. The clouds covered over the afternoon sky a black. It looked like the end of the world. Or at the very least, the end of Mako Island. I wish.

. . .

"Maybe we should go find them…the crowd we saw who went into the volcano burrow. Maybe, they can help us." We were now sitting on the rocks staring at the stream. I wondered if Emma could not remove the image of Bella falling with such a tortured scream to the depths below.

"I don't know, Cleo. We'd probably freak them out; not even taking into effect they seemed scared shitless," Emma blushed "of that girl following after them." Her face returned solemn.

"Emma, what do you think they're doing out here? Running away from her? You think we should be scared shitless as you said?" Ah, the day where I, Cleo Sertori was willing to curse more than Emma Gilbert…Witty perfection.

"I don't know… You know what she said…Do you think she knew…about what happened last night…or tonight…or…?" She looked at me for the answers. It scared me. Emma, once again tonight, didn't know what was happening. This was the worst situation possible.

"She seemed freaky enough." I answered before a hopeful light bulb shined in Emma's blue eyes.

"Do you have your phone? We can use it to call…someone…maybe they can come to Mako and pick us up…or…" I shook my head rapidly.

"But we're not in the present Mako Island. We're in the past…I can feel it. It won't help for them to come and find our bodies mutilated or something-"

"Cleo! Jeez, I never remembered you having such a negative sick mind." Emma muttered. Then she held her hand out. "It's worth a try."

"Well; people change…obviously." I then sighed and did what I usually did. I gave in to whatever someone told me. I was going backwards. Ever sine becoming Miriam's friend, and becoming popular; I had learned how to stand on my own…with Miriam. I was more independent, as long as I knew someone would be there for me. Zane had rearranged all those improvements the party night. For fucks sakes, was this some type of out-of-body experience where we go to the past? Or could lightning have hit me as well, and I was dreaming the whole thing up. Wait, or was it just the drugs? Emma was still holding out her hand.

Slowly, being the unsure Cleo I still always was, I reached down to see a grateful swing purse I had carried here to hold my blue LG Slide, and Emma immediately starting examining it for a loophole of how to return to normal life and end the messes we started on that party. Perhaps, it wouldn't be too hideous to stay?

She looked down the strolling line of contacts; Mum, Dad, Kim, Miriam, Lewis, Tiffany, Nate, Zane… and bit her lip. She dialed something in and waited, with her eyes squinting in confusion.

"What are you doing?" I was suddenly panicking. She wouldn't embarrass me would she?

"I'm calling Lewis. I figure he'll help us more than your other…_mates _will." Emma grinded her teeth pretending to smile. But we all knew it was sarcastic Emma not even helping it. I was instantly relieved, until I remembered what had happened last night. Lewis must hate me. He was never going to answer…

Emma's eyes rejoiced. "Lewis? Hello? Hello? Hey?" She listened and I heard the foggy misconnections, and then her mouth pursed in shock. "Rikki!" The name sounded exotic to Emma's tongue. "Where…where are you! Cleo and I…" She was thrown to silence. "I..., but wait! I didn't…" Then Emma did a crazy un-Emma thing. She shut up completely. And then was left with stunned numbness.

She quickly handed me the phone back, without saying a word. But my mind was hungry for answers.

"Did you talk to Rikki? Where is she? What's happened? Are we knocked out in some dream? How do we even have service out here?" My questions dragged on but Emma just shook her head.

"Something messed up has happened, and I don't know how we're going to get out of it."

. . .

"But; Cleo! You were the one who first suggested it! They are the only human beings; the species closest to us, we can find. Sure, they're from the fifties…We're in the fifties…but maybe they can get us a boat to the mainland, and…" Emma tried to explain further. But I put a stop to it.

"And what? We'll find our long-ago-ancestors and beg them to find a way to get us back to the future?" I fire. I feel tired and sore and I don't understand my fear of coming to see the ones of this time era; I had never had this before.

"Maybe! Look…Rikki and…" Emma shuddered, "Bella, are in some insane radical era as well…All I know, is that we have to find a way out of this…place; and that weird group we saw; they're our only candidates of help. So do you want to stay in the Fifties Style of Mako or do you want to have a chance of getting out of here?"

I bit my lip. She was right. They were our only hope, as odd demeanor they looked; maybe they knew of the mysterious magic that corrupted us here and away from our own modern twisted society placed on a party on Mako…or maybe they were going into the future as we were going to the past.

"Fine." It was strange; it had first been I who had suggested we look into the strange group's knowledge. Sure, it was a tad spooky; the only place I had even seen such looks and styles were in the remarkably sexist ads I had seen upon my research for a project in seventh grade. Since then; I hated the fifties with a fiery passion. It wasn't just sexism, but the drug use, homophobia, racism, and so much worse…I wondered if the souls pondering Mako as their home were as…deluded.

Perhaps fear was clinging to my sides, as we scurried to the burrow that led to such a mysterious aura inclined in that one trap. We fell down the hole, forcing silence upon ourselves. Somehow I felt that if we got found; bad things would happen. Eventually, we would come to see the darkest disasters that were wrathed upon the Old Ones, and we would learn our time would be devastatingly similar.

. . .

The tunnels that led from the hole were pitch-black, at the moment, at least. I kept whispering out in nervousness, "Emma? You're right next to me, _right?_" And every nine out of ten times, Em replied with an "Of course, Cleo. I'm holding your hand." I had insisted.

That was until the time, I didn't feel her hand urging off my worried squeezing. And finally, it was that tenth time and which I started crying off "Em! Where are you? Please don't leave me alone." I had whispered.

But all I could see was darkness. That same irony. Darkness was the only thing left in that place.

And then I had been terrified into molecules of imagination; it had all started when I heard the anxious breathing, and suddenly light shone down of the beautiful siren. She was the one with the dirty blonde hair and a permanent scowl placed on her face. The air whispered the name _Julia_ to my ears. And she was trying not cry. Scarlet blood dripped from a scar coveting her neck. Bruises tore up her shoulders and lined down her ruffled ends of the red dress.

Pity engulfed me. Something was not right. Something was not right at all. She was all alone in the timid dark room and she wanted someone to care. And then so suddenly and frighteningly throughout my phase of freak for Emma; the boy with the cigarette came in. He took one look at her and disaster struck.

"Julia! What have you done, _again?_" His face pinched tight in a angry expression. This caused her to be lost in her own mental suffocation even more.

He sat down beside her, and pulled her arm to revealed all the bruises. My gasp sharpened. Why couldn't they see me? I looked down to admire my tan skin at the most inappropriate moment but I couldn't find anything. I looked around. Was…was it possible I was apart of the darkness that wearied this troubled cave?

"I…I didn't mean to." Her voice wavered. Her soul seemed to split in half. Her eyes were completely broken. But still, she tried to sound strong.

After the boy, _Karl, _the darkness whispered, blew out his cigarette, and was captivated by the blood seeming down her neck; I could almost feel a wicked presence. Outside I heard the sharp blow of thunder, and a distinct feeling of lightning.

"What do you mean you didn't mean to? Only a girl gone bonkers manages to abuse herself!" I didn't like him. In fact, he was the type of ghosts I imagined in my dreams; arrogant, slightly creepy in a way, harsh, and frightening. But Julia tried to denounce it.

"No! No! Why won't you listen to me, Karl? I'm not doing this to myself…" Tears wisped from her eyes. "It's the—" He never let her finish.

"Ever sine we've got to the bash; you've been acting like a complete freak-of-nature; worse than you were before. I'm no step closer to getting proof of your friend's fishy lies. I thought you said it would be easy locking them up! I thought…" Julia's angered cry flushed through.

"That was before, you ignorant wanker! Don't you see what's happening!" Her voice cried out in desperation. She was tired of his obsessive mind rants. She couldn't take it. She didn't want to rat out her friends anymore. Before Gracie's Mako Bash; Karl had been so romantic and had asked her to marry him. She had proof with the expensive diamond ring she hid in her hand. But now he'd gone back to the way he was before…before…they had first fallen in love. Before the mermaid-hunting. Before anything of this wicked magic.

I was shocked at how her thoughts were played out to me. Inside, my mind whispered _He'll never change_. And then I thought of Zane. And then I was shattered at the word _mermaid_ so co followed by _hunting._

My thoughts were redirected into complete and utter shock as I watched Karl strike her face. A burning thrash of red covered her right cheek. I didn't dare breathe.

She fell to the ground. Karl just grunted, and with a swig of his cigarette; he was about to leave. But she pulled at him with the anger she had melted with exhaustion.

"There are others…on this island. They're not mermaids…but something else. They won't let us destroy them. They're other types of beings of every kind of magic… And they hate me! They hate me because I've betrayed them!" But Karl was already gone. Julia pulled in her chest and sobbed.

"They hate me because I betrayed them for…_you._" She shuddered. And then her eyes went straight to me.

"It hadn't used to be like this. I was strong. The thought of love was the silliest and most foolish predicament I had ever heard…" Then with a closing of her eyes, she whispered, "Don't let him make you weak."

Why did I have the feeling she was talking about Zane? Why did I have the feeling she wasn't deluded, but twisted in the wrath of wicked magic of Mako? Why did I have these signs from my heart that told me all of this was real? Why did I feel all of this had happened and it was destined one way or another for…_us. _

The courageous part of me dared. "Perhaps because it's the truth."

. . .

Julia had disappeared into the darkness, and I was glad to get away from those wretched happenings. It was as if my soul had taken me where I wanted, or maybe needed to go. I needed to witness certain things in order for me to look at the way things were in the present. Still, both were disturbed, messed up, wickedly magical, and inhumanely scary; but still so different.

Now my conscience wavered past nameless face up until the dark beauty staring at a magnificent pool of water lighted by magic, _Gracie._ I liked her to an extreme much more than Julia. She intimidated me less, and although I had caught Julia in a moment of pure weakness; Gracie seemed less overpowering, or just plain out less scary. It almost felt like I knew her from another life. Her eyes were friendly, her smile familiar, and her fashion adorable [for the fifties], and a pen placed by her fingers wrote hidden thoughts upon her hand.

It was all ruined by her fractured smile, her longing stare, her bitter eyes, and her lost glance. She had her hands pressed on her stomach as if she could feel what her heart was longing for her to do. It was then, her thoughts rapped up into mine.

_The only one I could possibly tell is Max. The girls won't understand. Louise will be in an awkward phase of no specific feelings. And Julia will feel plain out betrayed in the sickest ways. But Max will be angry. What if he tries to hurt…_him_? What if he ends up getting himself hurt? Is this selfish? Shouldn't I be focusing on the fact that a strange siren has come to stalk us down and hunt? …But no; this situation is unsolvable. No matter what I do, I will always be forced to say I was raped and now I'll have to live with the consequences._

I gasped. Loudly and in shock. Gracie wasn't like Julia. She heard. She looked around in cold fear. She could assume I was [A] one of her best friends [B] the strange siren in order of "destroying them" or [C]…her rapist? Did I dare to guess who C was?

"Hello? Louise? Julia? …Is that you guys?" She did the dialect I use. Pretend everything is funny for a moment and try to forget you're in severe danger.

I kept quiet. Sure, Emma said we were to ask them for help. But I had gotten so, too intrigued in their own mysterious lives to ponder mine. Wouldn't we just eventually end up back in our bodies on Emma's Mako Party with the consequences spinning? Hell, for all I knew; this was a dream I hallucinated when high on Ecstasy. Damn, these dreams were interesting.

"Hey!" A male voice sauntered. Gracie shuddered in the freak-out-mode I considered close to mine, and ended up throwing her pen into the beautiful pool. It was impossible, even with my rapid fear of water, to deny it's beauty, it's magical aura.

Anyways, back to the show of events of the past. Something I was so strangely getting riveted by.

The boy was the boy next to her in their running to the hole/burrow itself. He had caramel hair, and those same nice green hazel eyes…I recognized. The face of Lewis's smiling glamorous geekiness vibrated in my mind. I couldn't help but smile at the two of them. Gracie and… My eyes widened. This was _Max_.

Who knew I had such a zany imagination? This had to have been my imagination doped of drugs? Zany-Zane. Drugs-Zane. Reality was such a bitch.

Almost immediately after his friendly, "Hey!", she seized out to hug him. He smiled and hugged her back. He didn't realize how much comfort and love and support she needed. _That could have been me_.

"Gracie…I promise things are going to be okay." She didn't say a word. They stiffened out of their hug and looked at each other with intrigue.

"How can you be so sure?" Her voice wasn't malevolent or seductive, just a blunt whisper. He didn't know about her...being raped by…who…? I was hungry for answers. Maybe they would tell me why I was eavesdropping on them in the first place, or more or less, why I was taken to Mako Island in the fifties.

"The full moon is tomorrow. If we just hide for a little while more now…" _Hiding? _From what? The girl following them? "we'll be able to get back to…_normal._" I heard Gracie's thoughts. _Whatever that is._

I didn't understand what they meant. About a Full Moon. Or whatever normal was. I did know that both Gracie and I desperately wanted to get back to normality, even if for both of us; it held the fates that were started by a dark stud, one who would never pay.

"But…Max…I don't think I'm ever going to have a normal again…Something's happened." Max's eyes flashed with emotions. My heart pried as I watched him kiss her forehead and hold her reassuringly.

"What is it, beautiful?" My heart leaped. He was so sweet. The actual type of guy I should be going for, modernized of course. They were so sweet. Too bad Max would probably be put in angry hysteria as he found out someone had hurt the girl he was in love with.

Gracie's eyes flickered. If I had known her personally, I would have known that meant she was about to half-lie, because the truth hurt too much. But I didn't know her. Not yet, anyway. And out came words that even though they were so right for her, they were so utterly wrong to me.

"Max, I'm pregnant. The baby's yours." _But it wasn't._

But I, a nameless soul in the darkness of some out-of-body experience was the only one who knew this. And what good would I do?

. . .

Slowly, my soul started wavering into water. Cold exhilarating water. But that was my fear. It was running down hard. Like rain, but so much more peacefully. In the glimmer, I believed I could have heard Emma's voice trailing off to me, but when we hit surface in the blurry mess we were; We hit a blade.

The blade sliced across the white-blonde girl who had followed them, _Bea,_ and shattered even more of an already broken soul. It went across her wrist, but my heart knew it wasn't true. This wasn't the real…creature, although more of a girl, named Bea. It was the doings of wicked magic.

Now, Bea was washing the blade. But not ordinarily, with hands. Well maybe, with her hands, but it was the extremity of a power. Her hands instructed the water to form jelly, and form jelly it did. It then subsided as well as it's red content. Soon enough the blade was clean of her blood, and ready to strike.

I tried to screech out to Emma, for I knew she was here, but it was one of those times when the wind drives you the opposite way you are running, except with sound, which was even worse.

She closed her eyes for a moment, and whispered oh-so-freakishly, _Logan to come. Logan to be. Come and destroy the masses with me._

I then watched, as Bea stood up and straightened, her cruel smile adjusted. If only she could find the humanity she once had… Bea creaped out into the darkness passing us so quickly, followed by a man's shadow, yet trailing us along as well, and then she stalked so cleverly, until striking upon, in such Emma-Bella-like style, upon the leader of the coven; Louise. But this time, the events could not be erased in a mix-up of time.

Louise and Bea started to attack each other, yet in beautiful almost poetic motion. And then came the spirals of kisses. Then attacks. They were passionately drifting through the confusion battles of love and hatred. Which was which? Could you have one without the other?

And then, with eyes wide, and a loss of breath…I watched them fall back; appear dead. Their bodies were both unconscious, but their mouths slightly twitched. I heard whispers. _Call to the future bloodlines. Bring them here and let them battle their dooms so we don't have to. Call the future's twisted. Only the most twisted Mako will have to offer. So we can be free, in love, without this forced hatred. Call to them._

Emma rose up into the air; her spirit and cries frantic. She had no clue what was going on. Neither did I. I watched as she was then directed to a setting change; above the moon pool. All the Old Ones, in their young phases stood and watched. Julia was scorned. Gracie was scared. Karl and Max lingered over their proclaimed girls. And, Louise and Bea stood holding hands; a lightning force of chemistry steaming from between them.

Their eyes search, and reach a distressed me. My old friend and I are in this weird past-Mako-world, and they have my friend captive. They are angry. I am not what they expected.

"_Where is she! The Gilbert is here, but the Hartley isn't. They are the only ones that can end this. We stole her father, forced her to plan this party, all for this very reason. We have one of the wrong mermaids."_

Mermaids? Did I hear correctly? There was a thud.

Emma. In the moon pool's waters. Flailing in splashes and sparkles; magic. A tail takes form in place of her legs. And, I know; we all have a destiny. None of ours is what we could ever imagine. Ours got twisted, and I'm afraid it will never be fixed.

**A/N: A LOT to say… Hmm…so is this "hallucination" just an experience of wicked drugs? I'll answer that: No. This is much deeper, and complex as it revolves around things even more confusing than the new TVD storylines…but you'll see in time, epic minds. But, I will say I hope it isn't TOO confusing, which I'm still wondering at; since it's a valid possibility. And where have Rikki and Bella escaped off to? The complete opposite; the future? And even with this; how does the effects of the past relate to the pre-mermaidness now? Will they suffer the same fate? And for the love of peace; Will there ever be a fundament of an H2O 'normal' again?**

**Review, epic lovelies. An even more tortured FUTURE awaits you in untypical Rikki style. ;] And, of course; if I don't say it to you by the time it comes; Merry Christmas. Happy Hanukkah! Merry Kwanza! Happy Holidays, for every single lost soul out there.**


	10. It's Not Like I Planned It This Way

**Life As Magic Knew It**

**Copyright WillowSuzzaGleeeee**

**A/N: A new level of Life As Magic Knew It and it's content has been unveiled to your eyes so you can devour it, and then spiral your thoughts all over it (hopefully in a review). Anyways, here is the future of this fanfiction, the newest chapter, and the confusing hectic wonders of Rikki Chadwick.**

**Rikki's POV:**

Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. Chiming. A clock? Eerie. Where was I? Grass. Smelly grass, trees; jungle-like, rocks, …a cottage? And then a body; Bella's, lying next to mine as we both awake on Mako's jungle floor. Bella. Emma. A fight, a moon, a party. A wickedly weird night.

I widen my eyes and analyze my surroundings. A clock is in the backyard of a cottage, a cottage located in this jungle. A jungle I'm supposing is Mako Island. I straighten up, blink my eyes a few time, appreciate the sun's rays hitting my body. I gasp as I take a sinking relief? shock? happiness? When I smooth my fingers over my wrists, insides of my legs; clean, smooth, the natural skin of a sane girl. No cuts. No damage. A clean slate of tender healed skin.

Bella is still asleep; chewing upon Mako's jungle's ground. I cautiously pat her head, streaking with dirty blonde tangles. Twigs and dirt are still matted upon it from last night…or the past moment's fight…? How did Bella and I end up sleeping on the grass near this cottage? I wonder if mum and dad are worried…or too busy pondering if their strange daughter might ruin the rich perfect family image…

Was she dead? A sudden sizzling jolt of flashbacks; Bella being hit down to Mako's streams. Emma and Bella. A wrathful fight of violence and attraction. I never found out what happened to Bella's flailing body. It found it's plunge into water, and then…all I remember and darkness. And now waking up here.

Bella starts coughing. Is she choking? She straightens up, hobbles over, and continues her fit of coughing, until I awkwardly slap her back. She's breathing properly again, after she vomited up multiple ounces of clear perfect H2O.

"Rikki?" She mumbles, still coming to terms with the bright sun and the feeling of a different dimension passing between us. "We're…We're on Mako Island…Is it the morning?"

I stare up at the clock that had just chimed. "Twelve; midday." I yawn, thinking I would be much better off sleeping my life away in bed. "Something…is…"

"Different." Bella answers for me. "Last night…Emma and I… All I can remember is having this burning hatred…and desire for her… I fell in the stream…" She is slowly remembering. "Did you see anything?" She asks, a hushed frightened voice.

"After that? All I remember is waking up here… I wonder where the rest of the party is." I mumble, and a few exhilarating seconds later I hear a loud I-got-a-pocket-full-of-sunshine-I've-got-a-love-and-I-know-that-he's-all-mine-Oh-Oh-woah sing song of a phone chirp ruin our silence. A phone? Whose? And where?

It's on the ground, muffled by long strays of weeds along the odd clock, in the outside yard of this strange little cottage. Maybe they'll help us. Maybe the caller on the phone will. Maybe they'll both be serial killers set on killing Bella and I.

I suddenly recognized the phone. "It's Lewis's. Whose calling?" I ask, sudden anxiety placed in me as I analyze my almost-friend, Bella Hartley, who just might have even more secrets than me. As she whispers, "Cleo," and then I decide to pick up, I imagine Lewis's lost burnt face… What happened? We were… Frolicking around, discussing the antics and meanings of life; flirting, even… and then… Boom. Lightning. He was on the ground, unconscious; gone. I decided I had liked Lewis that night. Why was his phone with us? What had happened in the lost moments of last night?

"Lewis? Hello? Hello? Hey?" It's Emma, the uptight girl who seems intent on keeping her image of perfection. She's the girl who pushed Bella into Mako's stream. I wonder where Cleo is.

"It's…Rikki." I say quietly, until almost immediately my mouth perks up in anxiety in need of knowing what has happened.

"Where…where are you? Cleo and I…" I silence her.

"I'm here on Mako near this cottage.." Her voice is a shadow, muffled; the connection is losing itself. "Last night…You hurt Bella! I don't know what happened between you two," I notice Bella's eyes widen in worry. "But…I think it's the reason…the reason we're…" Silence meets my lips as Bella screeches.

A butterscotch-haired man, a delicious one at that, has come outside of his cottage. He is marking the day on his outside calendar. I squint my eyes, but the oddly etched date doesn't go away. April 17th, 2021. And Bella's trying hard to stay calm. "That's Will!" She whispers loudly, and my eyes creep up to his face. She is right. He's older, darker, more delicious, but he's still the Will that is Bella's boyfriend. Boyfriend who I'm sure knows about her secrets, whatever they are. We are not living in the present anymore, of that I'm almost sure of.

The last thing I stutter to Emma is, "I know what you did, to those teens, to Bella. You meshed…You meshed their legs…" I say, trying to not allow their leg's image to come back. "Then you made Bella look like the demon, and threw her off into the water. And, now, we're in 2021; the future. What did you do?"

Before I hear her anxious 'We're-in-a-different-era!' exclamation, I hang up and join Bella, who I know must have heard the entire conversation, in having expertise in the art of watching Will.

We hide along the side edges of the cottage. He has now crept up to the clock to rewind it. He has a funny look on his face. Bitter-sweetness. I wonder what he knows about this future that we don't.

Suddenly, a long stampede of shrieking freak-eyed kids come out. Jeesh, Will's got to have a lot of testosterone if all these bug-eyed animals are his. I wince at a little girl with buckets and buckets of never-ending butterscotch curly hair cry, "Daddy! Daddy! Mummy said you promised you would play with us," She refers to a blonde little boy as well as a set of identical twins, all within a few years age-range. "Please, Daddy! After lunch!"

Bella can't hide her long "Aww. That's so adorable." I hear her whisper. I find this interaction quite repulsive. Kids. Yuck.

"Of course I will, Suzy Q. Mummy has to leave to visit one of Mummy's friends, but, not to worry," He touches her nose, and picks 'Suzy Q' up, "we'll definitely have a great time." All the children nod their bobble-heads in happiness. They love their Daddy. How repulsive.

…Maybe I'm just bothered that I never really loved my parents like that. Maybe, but I'll never admit it.

"Now, go help clear the table and let Mummy and I visit our angel, okay?" Their angel? My eyes waver in confusion. The eldest boy (one of the twins), still only seven or so, nods quickly and leads all the others into the cottage. Bella and I stare at each, both with a confusion on who could be Will's and his wife's (or baby-maker's) 'angel'.

And soon enough, 'Mummy' comes out. My eyes split. A gasp erupts from me. I see Bella's eyes glisten in a certain kind of betrayal. This cannot be the future, can it? No, this definitely can not happen.

'Mummy', Will's wife, and baby-maker is an older version of… me. A girl titled Rikki Chadwick. Same baby blue devious eyes. Same tangles of perfectly blonde curls. But, different expression. She (I?) looks…happy. I look at her (my?) wrist. The scars have healed. By baby-making? Yuck.

I'm too involved in my own shock to realize Bella's eyes treading out vulnerability and her own shock… Will was supposed to be hers.

Future-Me runs out of the cottage (my future home?) and hugs Will. Damn, I look remarkably good for having tons and tons of little evil babies. Anyway, not the point. We…kiss. Hmm… And then, Will takes my hand, and they are leading each other…right where Bella and I are hiding.

We turn and hide on a different edge of the cottage, before getting slammed into cold gray rock; gravestone announcing a soul's death. **Bella Iris Hartley. Rose to the heavens on the eve of April 17****th****. Will always be an angel to those who knew her magic.**

Bella has died in this future. I take a glance at present (or past?) Bella, completely in the middle of her mind's chaos breaking down. Insanity. All of it. This can't happen, can it? All I can see is her body falling to Mako's streams. Did she die? Is this her afterlife? Seeing what happens? If so, why am I here? Is she wondering the same thing? I grab her hand and we run. And watch. Stare, really. The weird couple of Will Benjamin and Rikki Chadwick, myself. I'll be damned if I didn't keep my name…

Shit. Today, or the future's day. It's an anniversary. I realize this as Rikki and Will cradle each other, letting stray tears fall from their faces. Why is Bella's gravestone located in my future cottage (on a deserted island)'s yard? Oh well, I'll just go with the flow. At least I'm not dead…yet.

Will is talking. "Hey, Bells." Rikki (me) holds his hand. They both are staring at the hunk of rock or what's underneath it with such love. "We just thought, although I'm sure you know, how all the kids are doing. I know…if you were here today, things, although, they'd be different… We still cherish your memory and love your magical amazing soul." Will is about finish. He kneels down and places a solid red rose upon her gravestone. Out of the corner of my eye, I notice tears escape from Bella's eyes.

"I love you. We love you. And, here's to knowing that Bella Hartley will never be forgotten." For the moments after, Rikki (future) and Will (future) hug. I feel Bella trying to slip from my grasp, but I pull her back. I know for certain; we're not supposed to mess with the past, and definitely not the future. This might be a wrong future, but there's no reason to cause another breakdown…not to mention possibly allow me to lose my future husband to a (sort of) ghost. Did I just think that?

…My mind fails to reject the question… What if this is the future? Would I be so terribly disgusted by it? I know my answer, but I'm very sure Bella's is a whole different one.

. . .

Future-Me is leaving, temporary, anyway. Apparently, I have to visit a friend. I thought I didn't have any…, of course, as of where I left the present, I definitely didn't have a husband either. It's hard to pretend the tears in Bella's eyes aren't there, but what can I say? I didn't plan it this way.

I didn't plan this whole freak show at all.

I watch as myself, future-intoxicated, taken into a total terrible stereotypical world of wifely duties, babies, and strange ways of living on an island, kisses Will goodbye. A lot. As the children watch. Then I (she?) leave on a boat. It spirals in the ocean and whatever storms might come with it.

Bella and I have followed her (me?) upon the beach. I take Bella's hand because there's nothing else I can do.

"We have to follow her, or you… Where are you going?" I stare at Bella like she might be nearing insanity.

"Wouldn't you much rather stay with your long-lost love? And, how would I know? That future-me freaks me out! Yuck, how could I give birth like…four times? That is repulsive." I exclaim, shaking my head, high and proud.

"That is a 'natural process of life'," Bella sarcastically states, and we both laugh. For a moment, I feel I have redeemed our friendship. Even if fate decides Will will fall in love (or pretend to, anyway) with me after Bella dies. This isn't really what I plan as my hopes and dreams…

"If I were to die…, Rikki…. I would be glad that Will would have you and not any other skanky bitch…" Bella says quietly, and I offer her a smile.

"Well, thanks for the you're-not-any-old-skanky-bitch comment…but, hey, you're his angel. You know, if I married a guy and he referred to his ex-girlfriend as his angel, it'd be a major turn-off…" Bella looks at me like she doesn't know if I'm kidding, socially awkward, or nearing insanity. "Anyways, I think I'm into science geeks now." I state, braving the socially awkwardness that follows along with that statement.

Bella giggles! And I realize we might still be okay. Maybe, just maybe, we aren't almost-friends, but destined friends. And I am determined to not allow my only and first friend die. We're still holding hands, watching future-me's boat spiral off in the ocean, a distance away from where Will and the mini Wikkis are standing, still waving.

"Since we're basically in a totally screwed up world, I reckon it's time we fessed our secrets, don't you think, bestie?" I bite my lip. I'm unsure. Telling secrets is not my strong suit. But Bella's wobbling eyes tell me it isn't hers either.

"Fine. Since I'm not even sure this is real, I'll tell you. Guess it doesn't hurt. I already told my science geek…" Blushes. Again. Ugh, please tell me I'm not really into Lewis, am I? Does that qualify as a secret? I start. "I…cut myself. I'm not sure why I do it although I'm sure a professional could come up with a line although they have absolute zero experience. I'm sick of my life being kept in the dark, my parents keeping secrets, thinking I'm not good enough… Most times, I question why I'm here at all. So, with each cut, life eases for a bit… I… Nate, the pervert had a picture, video, oh what does it matter? He had it of me naked, and show all his boogery-wanker friends." Bella nods, but still seems startled by my blunt way of telling all these things that have haunted me for ages.

"There's probably more…but, I'm hoping that'll cover it…?" I add, and Bella's green eyes are still astray at my (future me's) boat in the ocean, heading mainland.

"I don't think it comes close to mine…but, hey…What are friends for?" I nod, and let out another giggle that has been surfacing my entire life.

"Rikki, the supernatural exists. All of it. Vampires, Demons, Witches,… Mermaids. They're all real." Bella expects a look of amused disbelief but all I give is intrigue. "I'm… I'm a mermaid." And with that crazy statement, Bella steps her foot in the waves. She falls to the ground, and I stare at her orange-scaled legacy of a tail. I'm smiling, ear to ear. Magic exists. Maybe, not all is lost after all…

"But…how?" I ask, speechless.

She just smirks. "At the right place, at the right time, magic can happen. I was in Ireland. I detested this secret. I then met Will. We fell in love, but I had to tell him. He offered to marry me, and said that his mum was part of a secret society that helped teenage immortals with no direction, like me. Who wanted rid of the secret.." I interrupt.

"But, why? Why would you hate this amazing secret?" I can't help but ask. It's a gift of pure magic, offering a spell of joy to the world… Why would she want to rid herself of it?

"That's just it, Rikki. I don't think I want to get rid of it anymore…" My future me's boat gets farther and farther away. "I like being a mermaid, but before any more a due, can we just…swim?" Bella is asking, with a smirk to her face like she takes the term to all new levels. With a grin, I nod. We sprint off into the water; her gliding, me holding on to her gliding tail. Best friends; outsiders; freaks. Whatever you call us, we're going to have a wicked good time in 2021. Sharing the same love interest or not.

. . .

We still intended to follow future-me (since this future's Bella was of little interest), and possibly cackle over my weird decisions. I never knew how sad and wicked the happenings of this day would be, for me, for Bella, for Emma, for everyone.

We soon figured out that future-me was on the mainland, click-clacking her (my) heels into a hospital building. We scurried at a careful distance after me, and came to a halt when future me entered the COMA WING. Bella and I stared at each other, both wondering; Who?

I saw a familiar blonde boy. So did future me. The blonde boy was more intelligent looking, much more cuter, but still just as sad. Future me ran into his arms and gave him a long hug. This was Lewis. I smiled. Goofy old scientific geek, Lewis. He was waiting around the Coma Wing as well. Futuristic me separated from his hug, and then we both walked into a patient's room together.

Bella and I followed, slit ourselves into the darkness between the windows; watching the difficult scene that was taking place. Emma. Lifeless, or sleeping. Who could tell which? The Gilbert mum, and Emma's brother, Lewis, and future me sat around the bed. They were all just…talking. Sobbing, maybe even laughing. And, Emma just lie there; a result of however fate ends this terrible game.

"What happened to her?" I whisper to Bella. And all she can to is start hiccuping. She's shaking her head rapidly.

"Rikki, the…the attraction of hatred, of…intrigue, it's still here, Rikki. For Emma and I." Bella looks pained as we stand here, as nonchalantly as possible; I know she wants to burst into the hospital room and start shredding Emma to bits. What if she already did that? Maybe that was why Emma, in this dark futuristic world, is in a coma, while Bella lies in a coffin.

"You have to fight it. You can't let yourself get you and Emma into these situations. This future, when, or if we ever get out of it…. When we get back, we have to make sure that this future never happens. Emma will not be in a coma. I will not marry Will and have tons of disturbing little munchkins, and you are not going to be dead. Okay?" I whimper, willing myself to believe that Bella and I have some hold and direction of fate. When truth argues, we don't. We're just souls amidst, floating recklessly as life creeps up on us. Maybe that's not all the way true. Bella is a freaking mermaid! Still, even magical souls get lost, obviously.

I realize my words did help though. Bella finds strength in them. She slowly nods. Then whispers, "I don't think I can bear being here, thinking about what might or might not have happened to make it this way… Can I…take a minute? I need to eat some chocolate." I giggle with a nod. Bella zaps herself to the closest (or is that farthest?) vending machine she can find.

I just want to watch. Watch grieving in process. Find out more about this futuristic me. Wonder why I've never actually seen myself (her) talk. Did she lose all direction and decide that she wasn't good enough to actually pursue her dreams (Of course, she did!), or did Will and her actually fall in love, coincidentally within the process of the aftermath of Bella's death? Were all these events set in stone? Or could the future be changed, based on decisions we make? Do we even have a choice in our destiny?

Suddenly, foot steps (loud, obnoxious ones at that) crowd the room outside Emma's hospital room. I slightly turn, and realize that this must also be an anniversary for Emma's coma state. A couple, so adorably disgusting, and disgustingly adorable struts in. Cleo. Zane. Cleo and Zane…? I almost start a hysterical fit of shock.

Firstly, they look way too dressed up to be going to an anniversary of a…coma? Cleo wears a yucky pink ruffled dress, while Zane clamps her as his accessory, complete in his leather jacket and annoyingly gorgeous smug face. Maybe I have a multiple boy crush disorder…

He holds some form of candies, the stuck up pleaser, as always; a surefire gift to make Mrs. Gilbert drool all over him some more. Cleo just looks….fucked up. Her face is red, eyes bloodshot. Oh please no… Cleo, do not get caught up in Zane's hedonistic ways! I sigh.

With this sigh, they both turn to me. Cleo looks numb; Zane intrigued, and just a little perverse. For a moment, I view a vision of lovestruck waft over him, and watch him loose his senses in mad desire for me… Until he realizes where he is, what he's doing, and that's he not in High School anymore… The years he met a strange fiery girl who had secrets, shared a rich neighborhood with her, and flirted, just occasionally. Not to mention 'tried' to stop his best mate from posting nude photos of me to all his friend's walls. Hmm, must have been his good old days.

Or not. He ventures near me, eyes in shock. Cleo tumbles after him.

"Hello, gorgeous." He dares a perverted pig whistle. "You look just like this girl I ended up fucking back in High School…." He smirks. I rise an eyebrow, finding amusement in all of this, until I realize…. Wait, what? Zane and I will not, ever, 'fuck'. Didn't he try to rape Cleo last…night? "Course she got married to this fish boy and pretended the twins were his…remember, my Cleopatra?"

I start cackling. Cleopatra! How…misplaced. Then I take in recognition of what he just said. So I wasn't as boring as the futuristic me appeared to be. That was calming. I hoped that futuristic Rikki Chadwick would still have the fire to break the rules… even though fire tends to leave you burned. Not in my case. But in Bella, and Emma's.

Right. The Prince of Darkness and his Cleopatra are expecting an answer. Well, he is. Cleo just looks like she's hoping to score some more drugs, relatively soon, or else she'll fall into a withdrawal induced coma. Who would know out of these four preppy perfect appearing girls, I would be the one less fucked up in the end? If you don't count living on an island, knowing girls who were fucked up, and lying about who is the father of my kids… I'm a saint.

"Well, that sounds alarmingly interesting…, so what'd you end up being after the four best years of your life? A successful business man so focused on his career, he's going to turn out exactly like all the other nameless tasteless rich faces… Blank, and boring? Or maybe you're a drug dealer, cause Cleopatra, here, doesn't look so good…." I cough, with a laugh. I'll apologize to Cleo for the jab later…maybe. If I see present her again. Futuristic her scares me.

"Hah. You're funny." Zane remarks. Cleo glares at me. Apparently, she doesn't think so. "Close. A bit of a combination of the two. I film some of the most successful films of the world…" This cracks a smile within Cleo, not to mention a roll of her eyes.

"Oh, really?" I find it hard to believe Zane is a director.

"Legit. Of porn, of course." He snickers, and Cleo tries remaining a smile. But my disappointed look creates the downfall of it. Is Cleo one of his…actresses?

"Wow. Breathtaking." I wit a sarcastic remark, planning to leave and find Bella. Maybe explore the futuristic shopping blocks.

"Yeah, you should come and audition sometime. Guys absolutely adored a chick like you in High School… Of course, I can't film a minor because that would be breaking the rules. Then again, I bet you like to break rules…" I stiffen, and watch as Zane takes out his wallet, hands me his card for disgustingly graphic productions, and offers me such a smirk; I find an urge to slap him.

"No." I say, then promptly tear the card in half. "And, when a girl says no…she means it." I take one last glance at Cleo; pity at the surface, offer Zane my best middle finger high dance, and strut off into the hospital halls. In search for a siren soon to be dead, if fate gets what it wishes.

. . .

**No One's POV:**

As Rikki walked in search of her new enchanting friend, Bella walked along searching for Rikki, believing that she could handle whatever life threw at her. Willing to change the future at all costs. As they, not meaning to, walked in opposite directions, Bella's eyes zoomed in on futuristic Rikki.

This Rikki had excused herself to take a call from Will. They had installed phone services in their little home of lies, and a red glow said that this call was urgent. Bella heard this tidbit of information:

"Rikki! Ohmygod, something's happened. Bella's grave…a monster…a monster's, some sort of siren came out. She hurt Suzie Q. She's going to destroy all of us. Rikki…, it's Bella. In some weird demented form. Bella's wheezing for help. I'm going to try and escape; the kids and I. But the Bella shadow could follow. I just want to say, if the shadow gets…gets the best of us… I love you. We all love you. Even though you've lied, we'll always love you even though the end…." Blurred blackness. ",is coming."

**A/N: Well….I hope I left you at an appropriate gasp of OHMYEFFING_, how have things gotten this messed up? But, life is a wretched thing. And fate is even worst. So, help your fate a little by believing karma exists, and let out an enormous this-story-is-crazily-_, to let me hit karma back at you. xoxox.**


	11. Life Was So Tragic, It Took Me Away

**Life As Magic Knew It**

**Copyright WillowSuzzaGleeeee**

**A/N: Wow. How time flies, literally in this fic and also in how this fic has progressed. I am flying in bitter-sweetness to aware you all that this story only has three chapters left before it is finished…complete…ended in hopeful epicness. So, cherish these last chapters. Also: Not sure how amazing this chapter will be, but a HUGE event happens, so…. read, enjoy, and review.**

**Bella's POV:**

The call from my long-lost-in-the-tragic-future-love was a bombshell of insanity. Will and his (Rikki's) kids were being attacked by some crazy shadow-formed creature that in some slight way resembled me, that crept up from my grave? Shouldn't I be receiving impulses of what was happening?

If I feel I'm distressed, future Rikki is even more. Her eyes are huge, and her perfected smile is wobbling; shock and disbelief brimming the sanity she is losing. I can tell she wants to say this a some impractical joke Will has played on her, but the vibe tells me it's not. A monster resembling me has arrived from the dead to destroy…people? Love? Life? Or maybe it wants to help me get my life back… Have an actual chance at having a future.

These questions sear away at me. Why am I dead in this future?

Before I can begin to try and ponder the question, future Rikki starts running. She's sprinting through the hospital hallway to the elevator; sanity spinning. She's desperately racing for the one she loves…and the one I love too. So I follow her, a discreet shadow, on the next elevator, fearing for what my monster version of myself will do to my one and only true love.

Is this Will's death date? Will his family be lost (even if it is future Rikki's as well)? Why does time like to be so tragic?

The hospital was near the docks that led into the ocean; a gateway to Mako, the mystical center of tragic magic. I assumed Rikki would get on the boat she had left her home on, as usual, I was wrong with my assuming. Future Rikki dived into the ocean; a breathless strive to save the ones she loves.

I look back only once to worry about present Rikki, but I know what I need to. She is strong. She will find her way to whatever path she needs to follow. She'll find us in a tragedy if she needs to. But now, without a thought or worry about my secret; I follow future Rikki into dark depths, swimming into lower darker areas of existence.

Nothing about this future surprises me anymore. Rikki's tail, as odd and marvelous it is, so similar to mine, glides ahead of me. She can out-swim me, even when we're both racing to save lives. Why didn't she swim to the mainland, rather than getting there on a boat? Perhaps she didn't want to be seen; she wanted her secrets well-kept, unlike me.

I follow this future Rikki upon the sand arches of the beach. It is when she starts taking her hand out and steaming her tail with a miraculous power, and the mist clears, that she notices me. Her eyes widen, but slowly, they ease for just a moment.

"Bella." She says my name as if it's a long lost concept that she misses, and stares with awe. "I knew this was going to happen but Will didn't." Future Rikki's eyes tremble, and I sense she desperately wants to break down, share secrets like the past (present) Rikki did. But she can't.

"What…What's happening, Rikki? Is Will going to get hurt? Are your kids?" I ask, my voice hoarse in anxiety.

"None of this ends well, Bella. So…enjoy what's left of it, before the real end. It's coming. Will's right. The end's starting, right now." A single misplaced tear escapes Rikki's crystal-blue eyes. She takes her hand and steams me; We're human now. And as much as I desperately want to sprint back into the ocean and leave this all to ruin by itself, I can't.

Future Rikki grabs me, a rejoice of a hug. She's whispering to me, "We missed you so much. Everyone loves you. You died to save everyone, and we all will forever love you." Once future Rikki's done with her confusing meltdown, she holds my hand and gulps. "Now, let's go. We have loves to save."

We fleeted the beach, and went into the deep and dark areas of jungle, where the little cottage stood, with howling evil noises leaking from the back, where my gravestone lie. Where a dark creature twisted into a vision of me made weeping noises.

We hurried, and were distraught at what we found. Little Suzie Q, shredded upon the grass. A lifeless corpse of blood and tears. The same grass where I had lied just moments ago, when we had first been transported here. The same little girl future Rikki had raised and loved with all her heart, and Will too. That little girl, gone. Just like what was found in the shadowy monster with my face that roared next to her.

The creatures had my green eyes, my waves of dirty blonde hair, but no hint of any soul anywhere on it's face. It had hideous blobs on the other parts of it's body. It was a monster who had killed Suzie Q. I watched future Rikki sob, as I try to hold her. Her daughter is dead, her husband and other children having disappeared.

But, now the me-monster turns to me, and sneers in it's own horrific way, "You are the one I've searched for…. Ssss, Sssss!" It hisses now, it's eyes hypnotizing their direction at me.

Future Rikki's in a mess, at Suzie Q's fallen side. She's of no help any more; too broken. I quicken a glance at the monster, the one searching for me. "What do you want?" My broken voice quivers.

"For the final end of the Gilbert and Hartley legacy. And yous will end thissss." The monster slurs. I shake my head. I want nothing to do with Emma, and our attraction of hatred, and this so-called legacy. Does it have something to do with mermaids? Destined magic?

"I'm not going to hurt anyone." My voice trembles, and future Rikki stares at me with a fiery form of building hatred. She believes it's my fault for this tragic end of her daughter, and deep down, I know it too. But I care about her, and I hate seeing hatred written across her face.

The monster sneers and looks at Suzie Q; dead eyes, bloody curls. "Yous already hassss." Then it cackles a menacing sound of gradual victory. The end of this legacy is coming, and it has everything to do with me. My worst nightmare.

The monster takes it's blob of a hand out, as I just hide my tears, pretend to stay strong. Suddenly, I realize all too tragically what's it's doing. Certain twirl of a hand; liquid turns into jelly. Exactly what the monster is doing to future Rikki, now. She's fallen to the ground, fading in and out. I know it's up to me to save her.

"Okay! Okay! I'll end this legacy, just don't hurt Rikki and Will and their family, okay?" I almost can't believe my words. I'm still betrayed, I'm still hurt, but I need Will to be okay, even if I'm not in this annually fucked up future. "I want them safe." And I realize, I do. Will, as my true love, however fate tears us apart. And Rikki, as the only best friend I've ever had. The one who I've shared dark secrets to, and who's told me her own heart's content. The end may not be pretty, but at least I won't be taken there not knowing that for a temporary time; Will and Rikki are happy.

The monster is hissing in happiness now, as it nods my face up and down, and starts an odd clap-like motion. "Good choicesss!" It grips my hand with sticky clamped blob fingers, and then I'm smothered. It's covering me; all darkness. Taking me away into the darkness. A different time; everything's different. Everything's about to happen.

. . .

_The darkness is clearing, making way for a blurry image of a magical pool and faces surrounding it. I am at peace for a moment, a floating spirit in the middle of a moon pool, with such happy magic and energy surrounding me; genuine beauty. Until suddenly, the image dims and shows the real creatures within the magic._

_ Four girls adorned in old-fashioned if not a bit tangled and matted dresses; two with deep frowns, confusion (One with dark hair and ember slits as eyes, the other with old-fashioned curls and deep blue pools as her eyes; both sharing the image of heartbreak). The other two girls are powerful, and have magnetic electricity binding them together and apart. Both blondes, one darker. The darker one stares straight at me, and I gather a name. _Bea. _Almost like grandmother Bea. She was the one who ran away with a girl into the jungle, right?_

_ Clutching close to them are two boys. One sweet and innocent, if not shocked and intrigued. The other curling his lip, dark pouncing eyes, even on me._

_ And then, the magical beauties of present. Cleo Sertori. Scared and withered. And, then there's Emma Gilbert; she's flailing in the moon's water, just appeared, now invested in the secret that is mine. She can't. I won't let her take this from me. Suddenly, a tangled blonde mess appears from behind me; a tremble of fire that gives me strength. Rikki has followed me here, and we have claimed each other as best friends._

_ The tail that Emma has stolen is still flailing. I find a burning desire and hatred to stop it; I twist my hand. The moon pool is now jelly. Emma a big blob of beautiful terror inside of it._

_ "Lovely! Just perfect, actually!" The girl next to Bea is clapping with an earful of a smile. "It took us rather long to summon the next Hartley legend, but, alas, she is here. And now, you two shall fight for this end. So that Bea and I can run away in peace, in love, without this hatred."_

_ I am pinned into silence; confusion; fear; adrenaline, all whirling inside of me. Emma coughs within the jelly. "You two should be the ones who fight this battle. Not Bella and I."_

_ And I find strength in her words. Even in hatred, we're on the same page. Neither of us want this. Cleo and Rikki clamber together, watch in their own little clique of an audience. I face Emma, eye-to-eye, from the moon pool._

_ "She's right." It pains me to say, but why? I sigh. "You are not going to have me killed and her in a coma. This is your battle, not ours… You can't do this. You can't make me angry at Emma for taking my secret." But, I realize with these words, I am already a step forward into being angry at her. I am angry. But fate is in the line; I can't let this fire I have for her take hold of me. I can't._

_ "And, where the fuck is my dad!" Emma's screech is not what I expect, and shock lifts my ears. Cleo looks as if she already knew this, but just as scared. And Rikki, as much as I feel pain for her future; she is just watching the show, with eyes full of anxiety…wondering how this really ends. If only we knew…_

_ Bea cackles. So much; it hurts, yet strengthens me. Emma should feel pain. Wait, what is this legend doing? It needs to stop; needs to end. I know how this happens. Bea continues, "We kidnapped her father as he waited for a pick-up of drugs. It was so rather easy. We found magic to connect ourselves to the future, on a very special full moon. Then we kidnapped him, and made you plan this darling perfect little party of disaster. And now, Bella and Emma, two opposite magical forces, will fight each other to the death. Because that fire is burning throughout your veins. Don't try to deny it."_

Don't try to deny it. Don't try to deny it. Don't try to deny it.

_At the end of these words, the magical fire is unleashed, and I realize Emma and I's wrath cannot-will not be stopped. We must go till the end; there is absolutely no other way. And so, the battle begins._

_ Emma is lifted from the jelly, so we have a fair fight. I sense her new powers, but know I have much more experience over her. The fight is starting._

_ I lift my hand; Emma's eyes a little flustered at first, but soon she realizes what I'm doing. I twirl it, as her wet clothes clutter into a solid; she's stuck. I smile. This has been far too easy. Emma is scared; frantic. I sense Bea and the other girl, Louise, are about to announce me to end her._

_ Until Cleo shouts out, "No! This can't happen!" And with that, Cleo focuses her eyes on Emma's solidness, and soon; her own hand is twirling. Emma breaks, and my solid powers are gone, off of her. Cleo is mystified, but Emma is glad. She twitches a smile._

_ "You didn't think it was going to be that easy, did you?" Emma smirks._

_ "Oh, puh-lease, if it wasn't for your destined-for-trouble bitchy friend, I'd have owned you." I spat, and I see all the past's souls glare with enchantment. No one can predict the end of this predicament, except Rikki and I, who have seen the future, and are desperate to change it._

_ And now, another run of powers. Emma lifts her hand now; flat out. I'm frozen; cannot breathe. She's going to win. I'm going to fall into a frozen death…if…someone…doesn't…help…_

_ Fire. Fire's piercing through the ice. Rikki's hand balling into a fist. She's saving me. Both Rikki and Cleo have their own special powers, and it's almost a battle of the best friends, and yet, I know Rikki and Cleo want neither of us to win, and neither of us to lose._

_ Rikki smirks at Emma. "Fire beats ice, always."_

_ I give her an appreciative you've-saved-my-life-thank-you-bestie charm of a grin, and turn my eyes back to Emma. I am determined to bring the end this time. Starting by jellying her blood. Where this new insanity comes from is unknown, it's just a burning drive through me, linked in my specific bloodline._

_ I take a more physical approach; starts by slamming her head against Mako's rock. Wham. I sense dizziness in her. We say no words as I beat her head in, and she pulls my hair, tipping them with frightful ice. Jelly drips down her body, but I can't find it in myself to bring the violent end…yet it's so close, asking me to finish this. One. Two…._

_ Blurred black stars. Tipping souls. Fade of life. Ice. Air. Fire. Magic. All swirled into the air; it's too much energy to take. Cackles in background, unconsciousness falling slowly. The last touch I have of life is pushing a girl's head into space, and hearing a thud. And then, a montage of memories start. My life passing me by; it's ending. All too suddenly, the moments are shown to me._

A little baby girl is born in Ireland with dirty blonde hair and electrifying green eyes. She's destined for magic, always been different her entire life. At eight, she stumbles into a cove with a pool of magic. A moon rises over, bringing a gift and a curse all in one. The girl descends and grows as a mermaid. The mermaid then falls in love with a mortal named Will. He offers her a new world, and they run away together. Things are not happily ever after, because of a party started by a full moon. The end comes at this party, when the past, present, and future magic all blends into one. And in this blur, Isabella Iris Hartley was killed.

And in the future, Bella's best friend and her true love fall in love, and remember her magical presence every single April 17th.

_Yes, each April 17__th__, I'll be remembered. And for me, right now, that's lovely enough, so I'll just fade into the peaceful sleep of death._

_**A/N: Okay, I feel I rushed this chapter a bit, but you ultimately see Bella's end in a (hopefully) epic tragic way. Shorter than my usual chapters, but the next one is planned to be quite long. There is only, really, one chapter left of this story, and then the epilogue that comes after. This story has transformed and been created by ideas, magic, love, and amazement I get from reading all the lovely reviews sent by you. So, please, make the story's official end even better than imagined as of now, by reviewing your heart out on Isabella Iris Hartley's death. Xoxo.**_


	12. One Last Chance To Reverse This Curse

**Life As Magic Knew It**

**Copyright WillowSuzzaGleeeee**

**A/N: So…Bella's dead, and Emma lies in an unknown predicament. Will the present become the future all too terribly? Read to find out.**

**Emma's POV:**

_The last touch I had of life was seeing Bella crumble…crumble to the powerful force of magic. It defeated her. I had won. _

_ But, then my head hit something hard; a rock sliced in… My skull…horrific pain. The pain started to fade. And when I opened my eyes, I was in a different world. There was mist, and I was walking around. I was on the beach; no one's here._

_ I'm in a ghost town, and there's no way out. I scream for attention. Just blurriness, and then I know. I'm not in this world anymore; I'm not dead or alive… I'm just floating between the two. And I can't find my way back to life, or even towards death. I'm just floating. Floating…Floating…_

**Cleo's POV:**

Terror pulses through me. Bella; a fallen mess. The magic was so strong; it took her away. Rikki immediately raced towards her. And then, I see something I thought I'd never see. Rikki Chadwick is crying.

I'm in the midst of numb emotions, racing; What am I, as a sane person, supposed to do? That's when I hear the thud. I turn to see the most horrific scene of my life.

Before Bella fell for magic's tragedy, she pushed Emma to the rocky walls of this strange volcano remains. The edge of a rock hit Emma's skull. Blood races out, pooling around her once-alive head of an image of perfection. That image of perfection is invaded by a bloody delight of horror.

I run to Emma; tears sweeping down my cheeks for a girl I've known my entire life. I feel her neck. I have no idea how to check for a pulse, but suddenly, I feel a thud within her neck. Her heart's beating. She's still alive! I sniffle in slight happiness.

"She's dead! Bella's…dead." My eyes locate Rikki, a sobbing mess, over Bella's body. Bella is lifeless; gone. And Rikki looks as if her entire soul has been altered…as if her best friend as been taken from her. "There's no pulse…! Bella, Bella lost." Rikki whispers in admitting defeat, but her eyes shine disbelief, anger, and fear.

"Ah! What a war well played!" Louise claps, and I'm at complete horror by her massive smile. She seems…happier, put at a peace. Louise and Bea take hands; They aren't forced to detest each other anymore. They can form together… Is there an attraction of love that was hidden by the hate of the prophecy? That's why they needed Emma and Bella to fight… They didn't want one of each other to die, because they loved each other…

"Wait! Let's make sure the Gilbert mermaid isn't dead first. I don't like that my bloodline was defeated, but, hey… As long as we're together." Bea replies.

My tears are soaking the skimpy outfit I had worn to the party…a lifetime ago. My eyes meet Rikki's; ludicrousness. This has to be that. A drug hallucination! …And, yet, I know it is not.

My eyes meet Gracie's, Julia's, Max's, and even Karl's. They all radiate the same loss of even more innocence; the same madness that will change all our lives forever.

Louise and Bea, clutching hands, near me, as they inspect Emma. I tremble away. This is too much to take.

"What have you two done!" Voices scream. They belong to Julia and Rikki. At the same time, in unity. Both of them are full of undeniable anger and shock. When they meet eyes, I see a connection. Two personalities…similar, but separated by fifty years of moments.

"Alas, the Gilbert mermaid is not dead." Louise smiles.

"I sense a coma… A coma that she will not be getting out of any time soon." Bea giggles. And as she does, Rikki breaks down.

"You can't do this! This can't happen. We swore this would never happen!" Rikki screeches. "Please…Please let them come back. You have no idea how much pain this causes!"

I nod, and stand closer to Rikki, near the fallen Bella Hartley. Dead Bella Hartley. "This was your war, not Emma and Bella's. So… So, now you have to bring them back!" I say, as more and more tears flood.

"Or what?" Louise smirks, and then comes the thunder of cackles. Her and Bea, hideously, cackling like two witches of evil magic.

"Well, this has been a lovely experience. One we'll never forget, but Louise and I have to be leaving now. We have a life to live together." Bea concludes, and they are about to dive into the pool of magic that started this whole mess when…

"Louise! You can't walk away! You lied to us." Gracie is speaking now. She's betrayed; the naive one; the…pregnant one. The one who got raped by her best friend's boyfriend. But, just as innocent as ever. "You said that this siren of an evil mermaid was chasing us, and going to destroy us!"

Gracie is being held close by Max. I can already sense Max believed Gracie. They're probably planning to get married…At least I think that's what would happen in the fifties. Hopefully, she won't be disowned. Would my dad disown me if I got raped and pregnant?

Julia stirs. "She lied. And she made a misery of these quite strange girls from the future. And, I don't even want to know Louise anymore." Julia is staying away from Karl, thank god. Could Gracie and Julia help us?

"I never meant to hurt you. That's why we had to do the spell from the mermaid book. It was so that the future girls of my family's legacy of magic with Bea's family could end this, once and for all." Louise tries desperately to explain. But Gracie and Julia just shake their heads; betrayed. Will Julia feel betrayed when she finds out her evil dirt bag of a boyfriend raped her best friend?

"Goodbye. I promise to never appear back in your lives again. Bea and I will live life together now." Louise turns to Rikki and I. "Sorry for shattering your possible friendship. It had to be done." These are Louise's last words, before; hands still holding; They dive into the ocean. In the magical form of mermaids.

I am still at loss for words at the magic Rikki and I possessed. Even Emma and Bella…when they were here. Emma controlled ice; Bella had the mystifying power of jelly and solid; Rikki could boil the water; I could mold shapes and move the water as I pleased. And…Emma and Bella were mermaids…just like Louise, Bea, Gracie, and Julia are.

"We…We have to call help or something!" Rikki cries, as Emma and Bella's body continue to sit there…getting lost in the world of death and comas more and more by each second.

"Mako doesn't have any phones. No one lives here. There's no place to connect to." Max tells us, as Gracie and him cuddle closer.

"Well…Well, I had my cell phone! It was… I can't find it." I search the surroundings, but am left blank. I can't remember where it is… Where did I put it?

"Cell phone?" Karl scoffs. And I realize; the fifties. Where they only had phones with long, long cords.

"Look, I doubt it matters. Your…Your friends are gone. One is dead, and the other is in some coma-like space. The doctors couldn't help…" Julia says, adding reality to the situation. And, she's right.

How in the world are we even going to get out of this world? Are we going to be forever stuck in this time period? Forever spreading the future's misery?

"But…Maybe we can." Gracie says quietly, as she looks at Julia, who nods. They gather together; giving each other strength. They remind me so much of Rikki and I. Rikki, who's in just as much as a mess as I am. She's the only one who really knows the horror of what's happening like I do.

"Wait… Wait… I don't know what's going on here… But these futuristic girls look pretty smoking. I'd never forgive myself if I didn't make out with one of them…even if they do look a bit like magical freaky bimbos." Karl spits out, and gives Rikki and I I-know-you-want-me smirks.

"Ew. You're like fifty years older than us!" Rikki exclaims, and shakes her head with a full on about-to-vomit appearance.

"Did you hear that! She said she didn't want you. Just like you know Gracie told you. How could you do that to your girlfriend's best friend? Regardless of that, any girl? You've altered Gracie's life forever now… And you should pay." I didn't know how it all just came screeching out. Zane almost raping me. Seeing Gracie's tragic life events take their toll. Emma going into a coma; Bella dying… I was filled with anger.

"What… What is she talking about, Gracie?" Max stiffens his clutching of Gracie. Gracie's in distress; Her reaction to what I said is pure horror. For a moment, I feel regretful…but it's best for everyone if they know the truth; Karl is an evil man.

"Yeah, Karl! What…What is she talking about…?" Julia quivers, and I sense the weakness unfolding. Her scars, bruises… She needs away from him just as much if not more than Gracie.

"I don't know. The girl's no cube. Probably talking about some weird future war!" Karl says, but Gracie is shaking her head and starts to cry.

"No! The girl… The girl is right." Gracie says in defeat. "Karl…" Tears start flooding as she's about to admit the crime done to her. "Karl raped me. And… Julia, I'm so sorry. I didn't try to…to do anything for this to happen, but…but… I'm so sorry. I'm…I'm pregnant."

This sets the coven to shock.

"You raped my best friend!" Julia screeches at Karl.

"You got Gracie pregnant! You dirt bag! How could you do this to her!" Rage flames in Max's voice.

They are all in their own insanity, and meanwhile Rikki and I stand here…staring at our lost old friends. There was definitely enough drama in the fifties for it to be interesting… Deadly interesting.

Karl rushes to his defense. "Cool it. Max's the one who told me Gracie was a fun girl in bed! I thought… Hey, if she's gonna get with the nerd, why not with me? If she's gonna be a sleaze with her boyfriend, she better expect other guys to get some too." Karl says.

Julia and Max are filled with horror, rage, and tips of betrayal. Gracie stands in fear, but she keeps eying Rikki and I.

"I want you gone!" Julia screams in her final breakdown. "I want you gone, and done with all your abuse. Now, go! Or else we'll use our powers to make you go." Julia says, with threat in her voice. Max nods. Karl just stands, shocked, and with pretty angry vibes directed at me. He can't hurt anyone anymore. I'll never let Zane or anyone else hurt me. Ever again.

Max pushes Karl into the moon pool. And, Gracie, Max, and Julia all huddle and scream at him; in tears, in sadness, in horror. They are the last of their magical circle left. The others are still in midst of these tragic events, and trying to pursue the aftermath of it.

Rikki offers her hand. With a lost smile, I take it.

"He's still going to hold our secret over our heads, but… we can threaten him with our powers and the DNA of…of your new baby, Gracie." Julia says, tears still falling. Gracie looks shocked. Her best friend isn't angry, or betrayed, but understanding and compassionate to the disaster that has just occurred.

"And…Max? I know it's not yours, but..." Gracie starts but is stopped by Max's sudden kiss.

Then, with a smile, he whispers to her with love filling up his eyes, "I would always take care of any baby with you as the mother. I'm going to keep you safe, you and our new baby, really, from now until forever."

After Gracie and Max's make out session and devotions of love, Julia nudges Gracie. And then both of these…mermaids turn to us, take glances at our fallen friends, and sigh.

"Right before you started telling all my secrets, I was about to say we can help you. But, thank you. For that. It probably helped me much more than I'll never know." Gracie starts, as she looks back at her best friend and true love, and then to me.

Julia nods. "Do you want your friends back? Do you wish that all of this never happened? Because there's a way." She finishes, with intrigue filling Rikki and I up.

"Of course we do." Rikki replies, eyes still showing sadness by the tears that won't disappear. "But why should we trust you?"

"I know Louise and Bea betrayed everything we ever knew, and ruined your lives in the process…but we want to help you because we were once in a friendship that you two will one day know…if you let us help." Gracie says, hope that we will let her shining in her ember eyes.

"I know I'd do anything for Emma and Bella to come back." I say, swaying my focus to Rikki. If she agrees, maybe we'll have one last chance to reverse this curse.

Rikki takes a deep breath, stares at Bella's corpse, and nods. "I promised Bella that we would both do anything so that Bella doesn't end up dead, and Emma doesn't turn up in a coma. So, what do we have to do?" She asks, and holds my hand tighter.

I decide I like Rikki. I wonder why we never became friends before…that night. And then I realize it's because I was stuck in the petty world of the popular girls, and that I never tried to meet anyone that was actually interesting. Anyone who knew how I felt deep inside. Like I'm screaming and no one can hear. Especially now.

"Well, it concerns you and a lot of magic. Not simple magic. It's a magic ritual we found in this book Max got from a local antique. It's a book for mermaid sirens, and the ritual is titled Reverse This Curse." Julia explains, and I'm shocked but taken into the spell of hope. If mermaids are real, magic definitely is, and magic can save Emma and Bella. Just like it took them away…

Max disappears into the tunnel of darkness that leads to this moon pool. He returns with a book he had in his backpack of some fifties sorts.

"Now, according to this, there are three crystals that hold the power of reversing a curse, and bringing you back into a sane world. The power is within the stones, and…" He crinkles his brow as he reads from the dusty page, "Apparently, you need to add them to a personal item…" I look at Rikki who looks just as confused as I. Who knew we would be doing rituals in the past?

"Lockets." Gracie says with excitement. "They can use our lockets."

"No, Gracie; You know we can't do that… That would mean that…" Gracie nudges Julia, stopping her from saying whatever she was about to reveal.

"We have two lockets. They're two girls, and they need a bit of magic in their lives… It's perfect." Gracie concludes, and there is an aura of happiness taking hold of her face.

I sense there's more to be told, but if this magic gets Emma and Bella back, I'd become a dark magic witch if it works.

"I'm not sure that's safe, Gracie." Uneasiness floats upon Rikki and I. But, what is safe about life? Absolutely nothing. And, I wouldn't really want it any other way.

"We'll do anything." I say, and this leads us to the plan of reversing the curse that caused Emma to lose herself into a coma, and for Bella to die. They were going to come back, and we were going to get on with our lives; having none of this happen.

. . .

The magic mermaid book was filled with potions and spells that only a mermaid could control, and use. Reversing This Curse was one of the most powerful. We had to find these crystals inside of Mako's volcanic structure, and put them inside of the personal lockets of Gracie and Julia. And after saying a specific mermaid chant; We would go back to the present, having none of this happen, having none of this going to ever happen again.

There was just the problem with how to get the crystals out from beneath the Mako rock. Gracie, Max, and Julia told us that it was probable we could use our powers that had sprouted when Emma and Bella had their dual…but after trying and trying again, to use air and fire to crack open the rocks… We realized our powers were short-lived. We no longer had the magic in ourselves to break the rocks.

So, Max told us we would have to find the right tools to break through the rocks, and I could realize they were sad. We were going to destroy their coven of magic, memories, and friendship. But, if the spell did work… Everything would be as it had…if it works.

The searching for tools was going to take us back to the civilized Gold Coast. Max wanted us to find the store as soon as possible, but I stopped him.

"Would it hurt the ritual to not work if we waited a little longer? It's always been my dream to spend a night in a different era." When I say this, Rikki immediately shakes her head, but offers me a smile.

"No. No, it wouldn't. You two can stay in the Luckeroo Hotel." He says, pointing to a small building.

I bite my lip. Rikki sighs. "Okay, but…we've kind of lost all our money, and who knows if it'd even be the same type of money?" She adds a complication to an already complicated recipe.

"Look, girls, I can pay…" Max says, offering us both smiles. "What are your names again?" He asks, suddenly curious.

"Cleo." I answer, and Rikki laughs. "I'm Rikki."

"Cleo and Rikki…What Year are you two from?" Max offers another question.

I look at Rikki, who answers. "2006."

"Well, Rikki and Cleo, I know an extraordinary girl when I see one. Tomorrow, on a full moon, when magic is strongest, you two will do the spell. Find the right tools at Bert's Equipment, and go to Mako. The moon pool. The lockets will be waiting…as will your friends. And let magic, the right kind, happen…and everything will be okay again." Max finishes, as he looks both of us in the eyes.

"Now, I have to be leaving. I have a beautiful girl to take care of…and her baby. But, Cleo, Rikki… I wish you both the best." And with that, he hands us forty dollars for the motel, and leaves.

We are on our own now. We have to will magic to take us back to a sane world where Emma and Bella are alive, and happy.

Rikki sighs and looks to me. "Is it just me or is he extremely cute for an old fifties guy?"

I stare at her, eyes wide, in shock. "Yeah, Rikki, that's definitely just you!" I exclaim. And with this, I offer her my hand, and we walk into the motel lobby room, and wait to try and change destiny. Even if we know little about each other, going through this horrific experience has connected us forever… Even if we won't remember when we get back.

. . .

We spent one solid night in the fifties era. We jumped on the beds, ate at this adorable restaurant where the Juicenet would soon take hold of, years later, and then we fell asleep…into the wee dark hours, and tried not to have the images of Emma and Bella haunting us. It was up to us. The pressure was intense, and reality was screaming that I would screw this up…like I usually did.

When I wake up in the morning… The morning of the full moon, the morning of our last day in the fifties era, the morning of the eve that will change our lives forever… When I woke up, Rikki has two cups of tea and a distorted smile waiting for me.

"Rikki!" I say, grateful for the tea. "Thanks for the tea…but how did you get it? We don't have-"

"Oh, puh-lease. Did you believe my act about losing my purse? My parents were loaded…because apparently, being in charge of some supernatural help association gets you rich… Anyways, I just wanted that Max guy to pay for us. The least he could do for all the chaos his ex-friends have caused us. Anyways, um, I thought we'd like to talk. We've been holding hands and pretending that there's still hope, but, honestly, I'm fucking scared." Rikki rants, and waits for my response.

"And you want to have a deep emotional conversation where we both gush into tears! Those are my favorites!" I exclaim, with a giggle, until I realize the reality of the tragedy we're in.

"No. Emotional conversations with girls gushing into tears is not my thing… But, when a fucked up paranormal mermaid thing happens that combines past, future, and present, and some crazy legacy… I think we ought to do something to make us remember each other when we forget all this." Rikki answers, eying me.

"You're right. I really do want to forget all of this, but… I don't want to forget you and just return to being the superficial Cleo Sertori anymore. It would be nice to be friends with some strange curly haired girl who, in another life, experiences all these strange happenings with me." I say while attempting to concoct some idea of how to make the next me think to discover who Rikki Chadwick is, and to cherish Emma. As well as Bella.

"Exactly why I'm scribbling things on your hand right now." Rikki replies, and suddenly she's taking a pen from her purse and writing a mark of, _Worship Rikki Chadwick. Cherish Bella and Emma._

I laugh. It really will be weird to read this as I watch Miriam try on yet another ugly pink dress. "Okay, now my turn!" I squeal.

_Cleo is beautiful and she's the best friend you could ever have. Emma and Bella aren't going to always be here… _is what marks Rikki's hands. We both laugh, so much in fact, suddenly I start to cry.

"This wasn't supposed to happen! Emma was always supposed to be here to give me horrible goody-two-shoe advice, and lecture me on morals!" I cry. "She wasn't supposed to go into a coma!"

"And, Bella wasn't supposed to die. I'm not supposed to get married to her boyfriend, Will, and have a million little brats with him. That's why we're going to do this ritual…and to save two people. Even if they don't remember it, and we don't remember it… This is kind of an epic experience… If you delete the part about Emma shattering her head on a rock and Bella crumbling because of magic." Rikki answers, and with that, she gives me strength…until the end.

"You know… Maybe this is some weird Ecstasy drug dream! Zane gave me that, and this really should not be happening…" I say, then realize what Rikki said before her breakdown of strength. "Wait, you get married to Bella's old true love, and have his babies! That's kind of a bitchy thing to do, Rikki."

"I know." Rikki bites her lip, and shrugs. "What can I say? I always thought I'd end up with the science geek that ends up a genius with a million houses…" Then her eyes crinkle. "Wait! Zane gave you drugs! Gosh, Cleo, why would you do that! He's a bad guy… He ends up being a porn director, and you're always drugged up." Rikki frets.

"Yeah. It's probably one of the worst mistakes in my life. I always knew I was a bit of a follower, but I didn't think drugs were my thing." I sigh, and crinkle my eyes, willing myself to be calm without all the events that are going to take place tonight eating me up. "Whoa. Zane becomes a porn director! That…sounds scary. He…He's such a jerk. I don't know why I… Never mind." I reply, knowing I was far too close to admitting Zane almost raped me. I didn't want to be like Gracie. I wouldn't.

"Yeah. Bella and I were sent to the future. And damn, was that place fucked up. You know, Cleo… I still think he took those naked photos of me and sent them to all his pervy friends. I mean, one second he's good, then he's a bad ass, then he-" I cut Rikki short.

"Zane almost raped me. He's bad news. You should probably write that on my hand now."

Rikki stares at me, full of shock. She looks as if she wants to touch me, but is afraid I'll start screaming. Until confidence pulses within her eyes. She takes the pen, and writes _Zane is evil. Keep you and friends away._

"What Zane almost did is terrible. And…we'll never let him do it to anyone else, for real. So, I'm guessing the lightning did him justice…? The lightning kind of…shot Lewis away right when I was possibly falling in love…and confessing to these." And with this, Rikki gives me a closer look to her arm. Scars of self-induced cuts cover it.

"Rikki, you're amazing and pretty and witty… Why would you do that to yourself?" I ask, and I take a touch at one of those horrific lines of pain.

"It was about attention…or something." Rikki sniffles, and a tear escapes her eyes. "Like that old feeling… I'm screaming and no one can hear. No one chooses to hear, or cares to hear… And, yet, I still scream." Rikki shakes her head, and lets a misplaced giggle out. "If this is one of our first conversations, and we're already sharing all our secrets… Our friendship is gonna take this coast by storm."

I chuckle, and nod. She's completely right. "Totally. And after this full moon, we're gonna be the heroes that no one knows about." I say, my soul now shimmering with hope. And, as we hold hands as new best friends for life, we leave the motel, and search for our tools that will break into Mako's rock, and find the magic crystals we need to save two lost girls that will never be taken for granted again.

. . .

Somehow, we had bought two forms of sledge hammers, had lunch at Ruby's Diner, and here we were… Staring at the moon pool, inspecting the two lockets and a mermaid magic book that were left for us…trying not to stare with dread at the fallen bodies of Emma and Bella.

"Well, we should probably start hitting at the rock before the moon goes overhead." Rikki comments, and I nod.

"You really think these will work?" I ask, referring to the half-ass sledge hammers as the best tools we could find.

Rikki just shrugs before responding, "What else can we do?"

I gulp, stare at that sparkling water of magic, knowing she's right. "Here goes." I say, and before too long; We're sledging the hammer little by little to completely break the rock…searching for the crystals which are the key to everything.

And then suddenly, I see a shiny blue light. It's ghostly and it's calling us to it… We need to touch the crystals and use their magic. One more slam. Another. And there the crystals wait.

"Wow, Rikki. They're beautiful." I exclaim, in pure awe.

"Yeah, they are." Rikki agrees. "But we've got to hurry; We don't have much time before the moon is at it's strongest." And with that, we scurry to claim the crystals and put two of them into the lockets.

And alas, there they are. Two of them resting amazingly inside the lockets, over the black and white photos of Louise, Gracie, and Julia as mermaids. The third crystal rests in the middle, on the ground. And Emma and Bella's forms surround them.

As the moon starts thundering it's magic and shimmers overhead the moon pool, I look to the book for the chant. My eyes go awry in confusion.

_Once the crystals are attached to a personal belonging of the mermaids, repeat this chant over and over: __**Reverse the curse of this mermaid magic. Let us be okay again. **__Saying this while full moon is overhead is strongest. If the mermaid's belongings have any touch of a mermaid, example: drawing, photograph, a connection of some sorts; The spell will not reverse the curse completely; the sirens will still find a way to become mermaids again. And the tragedy will take place at a different time._

"Cleo! What's the chant!" Rikki asks, and I feel time fading.

"Wait, Rikki… This says that we'll become mermaids because of-" I start, but Rikki is ranting. Time is running out.

"I don't care, Cleo! We just have to save Bella and Emma. We have to make sure this tragedy doesn't happen." Rikki answers, as her voice spirals in chaos. She grabs the book from me, and starts chanting, "Reverse this curse of mermaid magic. Let us be okay again." She looks to me.

"Reverse this curse of mermaid magic. Let us be okay again." We repeat over and over. I stare at the moon pool with it's shimmer of magical energy… Then, I look to Emma's torn head, and Bella's lifeless corpse. This is it. Magic and all. This our last moment before everything should fade back into our sane old lives…

_Reverse this curse of mermaid magic. Let us be okay again._

My last thought is that I hope we didn't have a flaw in the magical ritual.

This is it.

. . .

_Gold Coast, 2006_

I take a sigh as I walk down these familiar docks. I'm not one of the popular girls, but just ones of those awkward girls trying desperately to fit in. I've lived here my whole life. I just got done giving praise to Emma Gilbert on her amazing swimming skills…and it's on this moment that I find phenomenal trouble.

"Cleo! Hey, Cleo!" I stop, take a gulp. I know that gorgeous devil's voice. Zane Bennett. The demon of my awkward adolescence. He's the local devious rich boy, probably has far too much trouble caused because of him. I look around, praying he's talking to another girl named Cleo. He chuckles. "Yes, that Cleo."

"I'm in some trouble here. Can you help?" He asks, and somehow I'm not surprised. Of course he's in trouble, he's the king of trouble. But, I do know that Zane Bennett would not want help with his boat from me. Unless he likes me… No way possible. He's a jerk, and I know. So what makes me stop and sigh?

"Uh, I don't think so." I say, and back away.

"Come on." Zane lures, and then stands up and says something I never thought I'd hear. "Please? My zodiac won't go, and all I need you to do is just pass me the tools."

I roll my eyes, giving in, like I usually do. I walk towards the boat, and gulp. "I'm not good with boats."

"You'll be fine." Zane coaxes.

I nod, and take a step on, as I start inspecting the boats. Zane does look like he's telling the truth…for once. Maybe he just wanted my help, like he said.

"It took me awhile to realize someone stole my spark plug." Zane goes on, as I take the first tool in my sight.

I nod, biting my lip. "So, does it work without one?" I ask, as I usually try to be: Naive. Good people don't like to trick naive people. Right?

Suddenly, I feel I'm floating away. I start panicking as I look back and Zane is getting farther and farther way… He has pushed the boat out into the ocean now. I'm going to be drifting out at sea. And I realize; Zane's not a good person. And he definitely likes to trick naive people.

"No. No spark plug…No spark." Zane answers, with a hideous smirk placed on his lips. Zane's best mate, Nate comes out from the hidden. "I was getting sick of that thing anyway."

"Why me? I didn't steal your spark plug!" I shriek, anxiety threatening to turn me into mush.

"Because you're here, Cleo!" Zane answers cruelly. "My dad will buy me another boat anyway." Zane says, always only concerned with himself. Then an idea pipes in him. "I'll tell you what; If you get it going, you can keep it."

I know that's impossible, so by each second I start to worry more and more that I'll never see life again. "This isn't funny!" I screech.

"Are you kidding?" Zane asks, as if the thought is ludicrous. "Works for me, right, Nate?" Zane asks his mate, and they both chuckle with cheesy grins before high-fiving and waving me goodbye.

As the boat floats farther away, I know this is going to be the most humiliating moment of my life, if not the end of my existence. Zane Bennett's a devious dirt bag. I knew it. Why did I…?

"Zane!" I screech, and then sit down in defeat. I was not going to swim. I couldn't swim. It was my worst phobia.

"Looks like you'll have to swim for it, Cleo." Zane laughs again. I shake my head. This isn't happening.

"This isn't happening." I fret. Maybe if I close my eyes, I'll be safe back in my bed again. Doubt it. I'm floating farther and farther away. This is going to be my defeat….and right at this moment, a girl runs and jumps upon the boat, causing my ludicrous-in-eyes scream.

We both stand up. She's Rikki Chadwick; the new girl. She has two braids and is staring at me quite weirdly. I look at her, wondering if she's insane.

"Is this supposed to be some sort of rescue? Because there's a fatal floor here. I don't mean to set the obvious, but we're just floating out to sea." I remark, wanting to pull my hair out. "Both of us." I add.

And, then, Rikki offers me a delicious devious smile. A smile that is far more devious than Zane's. She then reveals some sort of chip in her hand. And, it hits me. Zane's spark plug.

"You took that…?" I conclude, finding Rikki both risky and admirable.

Rikki starts to take the seat of the driver, and looks back at the boys filled with trouble. "Zane Bennett's a pig. Anything I can do to get under his skin can't be a bad thing, can it?" Rikki replies, slyly.

I'm filled with complete admiration and happiness for her. "Cool! Thanks, Rikki." I say, eyes soggy in gratefulness.

She looks at me strangely. Yet again. "You know my name…?"

I widen my eyes, realizing I haven't ever once said hi to her. I then look at the mysterious writing on my hand. _Worship Rikki Chadwick. Cherish Bella and Emma. Zane is evil. Keep you and friends away._

"Yeah. Actually, I just woke up today with this weird writing…" I start, but stop. She's going to think I'm a mental patient. "I mean… I got a vibe I should get to know you. And I should...probably start listening to my vibes." I say, as I look down at the Zane comment.

I didn't know a Bella character yet, but I knew Emma would be a pretty awesome friend. She was just always with her swim team girls. And…Rikki did seem pretty awesome as of now, even if she did have a tendency to steal things from bad boys.

"Oh. I also got one of those 'vibes' to become your friend and save you from Zane Bennett's despair." Rikki says, with a laugh. She, then, shows me her hand. I gasp. It reads _Cleo is beautiful and she's the best friend you could ever have. Emma and Bella aren't going to always be here… _in my hand-writing. And, it speaks about some Bella girl as well…

Before I can speak, Rikki is already starting the boat, and turning it around in swerve motion. I'm filled with excitement. I've never had a reckless friend in my whole life. And this seems like a fun way to spend an afternoon. That's why I forget about what's written on our hands. Little did I know, ocean water would wipe it clean in a few hours.

The ocean water sprays upon Zane and Nate. Rikki and I stare at each, and laugh, and laugh, and laugh. Finally! Zane gets to have a demon of his own awkwardness.

We ride the boat into the ocean. We didn't know that we were to find Emma, and invite her responsibility along. We didn't know that we would run of gas and become stranded. We didn't know we would paddle to the mysterious Mako Island. And, we definitely didn't know we would become mermaids.

We were just driving off into a sunset of friendship, and adventure. And, we had no idea what was to come.

**A/N: …Ohmygiddygosh. That was the end of Life As Magic Knew It, as we now know it. Sure, you'll have the epilogue to come in some time, but… This is the real beginning of the end. I would like to thank you all so much for being the amazing readers and reviewers that allowed this story to grow, as well as my writing skills. Thanks. SO. Much. And alas, now we wait for the epilogue which will go on to show that the future is not as sunny as it would appear to be.**


	13. The Unhappy Endings

**Life As Magic Knew It**

**Copyright WillowSuzzaGleeeee**

**A/N: The real end. The epilogue. Here it is. There's nothing else to do but devour this last part of this tale of a time where the mermaids lived without magic, but were drawn to the worlds of the past, present, and future. This is it.**

**No One's POV:**

In the time that followed the mermaid's metamorphosis and welcoming into a friendship of magic, love surrounded Emma, Cleo, and Rikki. They had love for each other, as the best of friends do. They survived the ups and the downs as well as the celebrations and the chaos that came with being a mermaid in High School.

Love also creeped in as human and mermaid attractions. There were first loves-such as Cleo and Lewis's obvious friend zone territory transforming into full-blown true love. They were the sweetest pair in the course of these mermaid's lives, and in a dawn of the mermaid's Senior year, Lewis was taken out of their life, across the ocean, by his own intelligence. But, their love was to stay strong, always. At least, this is what they wanted.

Meanwhile, an attraction brewed between the most unlikely pair. A pair that at first was crafted by hatred, turned into love. Rikki and Zane found each other in the most insecure, hottest, fearful times…and fell in love as an effect. Sadly, their love was to be torn by a red head with eyes for destruction of love. As most red heads in these mermaid's worlds had. But, the curly haired mermaid and the dark haired human's love was not to be forgotten, because a romance that can turn hate to love is not a tale to be forgotten.

There was turmoil within Emma, Cleo, and Rikki's life for becoming mermaids. Such a magical gift could not be kept secret for so long. With Lewis, a scientist on their side, they fell into a trap crafted by a scientist of the name Denman, but could very easily be recognized as a demon. This scientist found her nose and scientific studies into their mermaidness. And, alas, the mermaids had to give up their powers….for twelve hours, tricking the scientist in the process.

In the mermaid's Junior year, Cleo and Lewis's love nearly fell apart. Cleo was the one to need her space where she could deal with her parent's divorce, her sister's antics, and her new powers without chaos bursting out of her mouth to Lewis. Once broken up, Cleo only found loneliness and jealousy when a certain red-haired vixen walked in and stole Lewis and his brain for a temporary time.

This red head, with a grandmother titled Gracie, who, without knowledge, helped Emma, Cleo, and Rikki become mermaids, found a need to know the secret the mermaid group carried around. When Charlotte, this specific red head, found out this secret; she acted in accordance to wanting to be special, and eventually, wanting to be a super mermaid and almost ridding Emma, Cleo, and Rikki of their powers. But, in the end, it was Charlotte who lost. And Cleo who found Lewis and love again.

But, their third year of High School was filled with more than just heartbreak, fourth mermaids, and reunited true love. Emma finally found an annoyingly attractive boy to enchanted her enough to challenge her annoyance for him. Soon enough, they found love. And, there was yet another person who knew of their mermaid secret.

But, with time, life took it's toll, and in the process, propelled Emma to have an opportunity to travel the world with her family. It was in this life-changing event for the mermaids that Emma went on in the world, and Cleo and Rikki met a new mermaid to add to their coven-a beautiful singer named Bella.

Bella was a girl who took on her metamorphosis of mermaidhood at eight years old, in an Ireland moon pool. Bella was a girl who sang her heart out, and despite being admired by many blokes, felt awkward with guys she truly liked. Bella was a girl who became Cleo and Rikki's best friend. After helping to save Rikki from a water tentacle of warnings, Bella was one of them.

Bella, indeed, did like one particular guy who seemed quite clueless until the near end of their Senior Year. Will, a new guy, a diver, and the one Bella was nuts over first only felt intrigue for Bella for her mermaidness. But, when there's a will, there's a way. And their true love formed. So, now, approximately, six people knew of their secret at some point.

The water tentacle that had, at first, lunged Rikki into it's wrath turned out to be a warning for a comet that was to come. A comet that was to crash into the Earth, hitting Mako Island first.

This comet was one that Bella had told Cleo and Rikki, she would take on her own. As it was her purpose, since she had turned mermaid in the same moon pool as Eva, a mermaid who originally stopped the comet in the olden days. Cleo and Rikki could not phase Bella. And, so it was, that Bella took on the comet, harvesting all her power to change it's direction… It was as Bella willed the comet to change that it did, destroying Bella in the process.

For the ritual performed in that alternate universe, that saved a dead Bella and a coma-induced state of Emma, failed. It was performed wrong and the flaw would come back, and alter the lives as magic knew it.

So, Bella crumbled, saving the world from the comet, and died of the fateful night of April 17th. As she collapsed, three crystals fell from the broken rocks that were never found. Three blue crystals of magic that should have saved her. Life isn't that simple though, neither was the spell, and the effects were as dire as Bella's death.

Meanwhile, as Emma took on the world, she found herself rock climbing in Greece on the lovely day of April 17th as well. As she boosted herself up the tough terrains of a specific Meteora, Emma did the most imperfect action and slipped. As she slipped, her harness, improperly connect to her, broke. This caused a fall for Emma, a fall that would lead to her coma-induced state.

The aftermath of these actions resulted in the distorted future of a Rikki and Will, married and with millions of little munchkins, Cleo, finding her way upon drugs after a fallout with Lewis, one that led her to a now successful porn director, Zane, and a new mermaid trio turned quadruples that would find their way upon Mako's pool of magic and the moon.

In our end, as well as the mermaids, we all die. There are the happy times, the wretched times, the times where you wish you could die right then…and the times where you rise above from those places and find hope to move forward in the life.

Life, in it's most bitter form, moves at a rate of magic. And magic can be a wonder, beauty, hysteria, and a wrath.

But, in the end, there are no happy endings.

**A/N: And there it was. The epilogue, a short bitter taste at the real ending that comes to these mermaids we've all come to know and love. …Thank you. Every one of you. For letting this story flourish, as well as my writing. I owe this all to your reviews that inspired me to go on.**

**And, now, with tears of joy (or really an accomplished feeling of sad pride), I will now announce this fanfiction complete. **


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